AkuRokuRiSo Month 2k19
by the.israel.project107
Summary: An assortment of AkuRoku, RiSo, and poly ficlets for the month of September
1. Chapter 1

**Forgotten - **** My own prompt, because everyone needs to write an amnesia story at one point or another, it's a good premise, fuck you.**

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

The steady sound of an IV machine heralded Axel's return to consciousness, his eyes fluttering groggily open to the sight of bright white walls and ceiling. His words were thick and clumsy as he muttered, "The fuck…?"

A gasp caught his attention, seconds before a hand caught his and squeezed it hard. "Axel…?"

He managed to turn his gaze towards the sound, that trembling, unsure voice, and blinked slowly at a blond young man with tear-filled blue eyes. At the sight of him, the blond's pale face broke out into a watery smile. "Oh, thank god – you're okay." His eyes slid shut, the tears slipping free and rolling down his cheeks as he pressed Axel's cool hand to his face.

Bewildered, Axel tried to make sense of what was going on. He managed to croak out, "Where…?"

The blond lowered his hand, but gripped it even more tightly. "You're in the hospital, Axel. You were in an accident."

"Oh, wow, okay," said Axel, uncertainly. "And – who're you?"

The blond froze. His eyes widened in the face of Axel's blank stare, which grew only more confused the longer the silence stretched. Then, the young man smiled thinly, releasing Axel's hand and leaning back. "I'm – a friend of your sister. You remember Kairi, right?" When Axel nodded, he let out a ragged breath and a laugh. "Oh, thank god. You scared me there for a second. She's been distraught, man. I'll – I'll go get her." He quickly stood and hurried away from the bed.

Axel watched him leave the room with consternation, still trying to wrap his head around what was going on. He held up his hand, which was only moments ago being tightly grasped, turning it over and staring at his now-empty palm. Then the door opened sharply, Kairi entering with a worried expression, rushing to his side. Wordlessly, she threw her arms around him in a hug, Axel grunting as pain shot through his body at the hard squeeze. "Kairi – Kairi, hurts…!" She released him, pulling back with tears running down her face, just like the blond guy had been. When Axel glanced past her, said blond was nowhere to be seen.

"You absolute idiot," Kairi wept, dragging her hands under her eyes to try and mop up the mess. "I can't believe you."

"Um. Sorry?" Axel offered. She sniffed loudly. He held his hand out, which she grabbed, a much smaller hand than the last one to fill it. "Kairi, what happened to me?"

"You were driving to the airport," she shakily told him. "You were in a hurry."

Axel felt himself go cold. "Don't tell me I caused an accident…?" To his relief, she shook her head.

"Someone else ran a red light and crashed into you in the intersection. Your – your car was totalled, Axel." Her mouth trembled as she fought to keep her words audible. "You were unconscious for seven hours."

"Seven…!" He gulped, looking around at himself. He had a cast on his right hand, which he lifted to stare at.

"You fractured it," Kairi sniffed. "They said you were actually – really lucky. You got out without much damage other than that. But you – you hit your head on the steering wheel before the airbag could deploy, and…" She squeezed her eyes shut. "Your memory – is your memory okay?"

He thought back to the blond, asking if he remembered his sister. "Well – I remember you okay," he reassured her with a soft smile, giving her hand a light squeeze. She shook her head impatiently.

"No, what about – other things? Other people? Why you were – going to the airport?"

Axel frowned, searching his mind. "Um. Hm. I don't think I remember going to the airport. Or why I would be. Or…" He locked up for a moment, a thrill of fear shooting through his chest. "Oh, shit. Kairi. I can't remember anything. I… I can't remember… _anything." _

She met his alarmed gaze, her grip on his hand going almost painfully tight. "It's – it's going to be okay. The doctor is coming. They'll be able to figure something out." Axel looked around, heart pounding, wondering how much of his life was missing. "That – that guy before, what about him? Have I forgotten him?"

Kairi hesitated. She bowed her head a little, but said, "No – he's just a friend of mine. He came to support me. He's… nobody."

Relieved, Axel settled back against his pillow. "Oh. Okay. That's good, then."

"…Yeah." Kairi's voice was low. Axel gave her a strained smile.

"Hey. You. It's going to be all right, you'll see."

A few more tears leaked from her eyes, but she wiped them resolutely away. "Yeah," she said. "Yeah, I'm – I'm sure it will."

.o.O.o.

"It's retrograde amnesia," the doctor said, in a quiet room away from the wards. Kairi and Roxas sat in chairs before the doctor's desk, each of them hitching a small breath at the diagnosis. "It's a result of the head injury Axel sustained. He seems to have lost roughly a year's worth of formed memories." Roxas' head sank low, Kairi laying a hand on his back.

"Will they come back? The memories?" Kairi anxiously asked, giving a quick rub between his shoulder blades.

"They may," the doctor replied, "but considering the span of time the amnesia covers, it would appear that there may be some slight brain damage from the accident."

"Oh, god," Roxas muttered. Kairi's hand had stopped, a handful of his sweater clutched in her fingers.

"Brain damage?" Her voice was almost inaudible.

"It's nothing severe," the doctor hurried to assure her. "He can think, speak, and move just fine, and the tests we performed showed that he has no immediate issues other than those missing memories. However, due to the nature of the injury, it is entirely possible he may never recover those lost months. If he does, it will likely be very slowly."

Outside of the doctor's office, Kairi and Roxas took a moment to collect themselves. Roxas slumped against the wall, staring down at the patterned carpet. "…It's my fault." Kairi tried to shake her head, reaching for him, but he sharply blocked her hand and reiterated, "It is, it's my fault, Kairi. I did this to him."

"Roxas…"

"Think about how much worse it could have been," he hissed. "He could have been _killed."_

"But, but Roxas," Kairi helplessly said, but again he stopped her.

"No. That's enough. I've… had enough." He let out a long sigh. "Like I told you before, it's better this way. Just don't mention me, and he'll… be better off."

"Roxas, _no –"_

"I broke up with him, Kairi. It was already over. This way, he doesn't have to go through any more pain."

She stared at him for a long moment, then burst into tears. He wrapped her up in a hug, fighting his own tears. This way, it would be like they'd never met. This way, it would be easier for everyone involved. It was almost a blessing.

Roxas could just stay forgotten.

.o.O.o.

Axel was released from hospital three days later. He'd gone through so many tests they blurred together, but in the end, it seemed like it was just his memories that had been affected, after all. The relief was so immense it was almost dizzying. Upon his discharge, Kairi came to pick him up, and together they went back to his apartment. "Home, sweet home," Axel murmured, stepping through the doorway. He remembered home. He'd been living here for two years, after all, even if he only remembered the first year of it. He was curious to see if anything seemed out of place, but pretty much everything was as he recalled it. However…

"Did I have – a yard sale recently or something?" There was a curious emptiness that hung in the air. There were spaces dotted around that looked like they had up until recently been filled by something no longer there. Some gaps in the bookcase. A couple of empty hooks in the kitchen, where mugs were meant to go. The bed looked like it hadn't been slept in recently at all. A chunk of the CD tower with nothing in it. "I wasn't burgled while I was in hospital, was I?" he wondered, looking around.

Kairi shook her head hesitantly. "This is how it always is. I've been coming here to rest at night, since it's closer to the hospital. Nobody broke in."

Axel paused, looking down at an indentation in the thin carpet. He scuffed it with a toe. It reminded him of the mark a pot plant left behind. He inhaled deeply, and found that there was something a little different in the air, like another person's scent clinging just barely to his own. "A roommate?" he mused out loud.

"No," Kairi told him. "You've been living… alone." She watched him carefully. "Why? Do you remember something?"

Axel glanced over thoughtfully. "Remember? No. Just sort of a feeling I got." He gazed quietly around. "But if you say I've been living lone-wolf style, it must be true. Maybe it's just the difference in my memory coming up against the extra year of living." It was a troubling concept, but one he'd had a few days to start coming to terms with. A year of his life had been lived, but it was like he'd been out to lunch the whole time. Still, according to Kairi, he still had the same job, the same friends, and this was the same apartment as before, so it wasn't like the gap between then and now was overwhelmingly different. Still, it was – uncomfortable. He noticed Kairi looking concerned, and tried to change the sombre mood. "Ahh. That's pretty lame, though. A whole year goes by and I still don't have anyone to kiss me goodnight? I am the terminally single."

He'd meant it as a joke, but her expression darkened a little, and she glanced away. "…Well, sit down and try to relax," she said. "I'll make something for lunch."

A little bummed that his attempted joke had fallen flat, Axel sank into the sofa and turned on the TV. Daytime soaps were showing, typical in their melodrama, with storylines he probably could've been watching a year ago and still be up to date with. Hell, there was probably an amnesia plot. He felt so clichéd all of a sudden. He continued to look around, refamiliarising himself with the place, a pile of magazines to his right catching his eye. Reaching across with his left hand, he pulled them onto his lap, idly flipped through them with his cast-bound hand. "Hey, Kairi," he called out. "When did I develop an interest in – Architecture Monthly?" He glanced at the list of contents, none of the headlines making much sense to him.

Kairi stood in the kitchen doorway, wiping a knife on a small towel. "What was the title again?" she asked, sounding almost nervous.

"Architecture Monthly."

"Oh. That. It's not yours, it's, uh, mine. I bought a magazine subscription thinking I'd broaden my horizons, but Olette was complaining about how they were all over the place, so I left it here. There might be others… here and there."

"You're broadening your horizons with – 'The Vital Differences Between A Townhouse and a Condo'?" Axel read, squinting at the article.

"Well… you never know when you might need that kind of information," Kairi lightly replied, then followed quickly with, "Hey, do you want mayo in your sandwich, or…?"

"Mustard me, woman," he answered, continuing to flick through the magazine for a few minutes before setting it aside with a shrug. Kairi brought out the food, and they channel surfed for a while, eating and chatting, Axel trying to figure out which pieces of his mind were blank, and which were basically still intact. "Oh, hey, yeah, I meant to ask you – what was with that guy from the other day?" he suddenly asked. Kairi jumped a little.

"Guy? Which guy?"

"That blond kid. When I woke up, he started crying, I think. He said he was a friend of yours."

"Oh – oh, that was… he was just…" Kairi sounded like she was panicking, Axel turning to her with a wicked little grin.

"Oh? What's this? Is he maybe someone a little bit _special _to my dearest sister?"

Kairi flushed, stammering, "N-_No, _Axel, he most definitely is _not."_

He chuckled, teasing, "Methinks the lady doth protest too much." The mirth froze on his face when he saw that Kairi had gone pale, her expression tight with distress. "Hey – hey, wait, I'm sorry. I stepped on a landmine. I'm so sorry."

"He's just a friend of mine," she stated, her voice firm but small. "That's all."

Awkwardly, Axel nodded, hoping for the pain she was evidently feeling to vanish as quickly as possible. "Right. Of course. I just forgot – you know me, Amnesia Axel. I'm just glad you had a friend with you when it was scary."

She relaxed slightly, nodded falteringly, and continued eating her sandwich. Axel made a mental note to not bring up the topic of the blond guy again. Whoever he was, he just hoped he wasn't making his little sister cry. He'd hate to have to go and teach the kid a lesson or three. Still, if he was there for Kairi when the chips were down, he couldn't have been all bad. He'd even held Axel's hand. Clearly, he was someone who cared a whole lot about Kairi, and that was all that was important. Still, he couldn't help but feel a little wistful at the thought. Here he was, an eternal bachelor, while his sister had some cute kid in the wings who'd cry when her brother woke up after a car crash.

Must be nice.

.o.O.o.

Axel returned to work a week later, with the doctor's blessings, back at the construction firm he did administration for. "Axellll!" A delighted Demyx threw himself bodily at him, Axel yelping, _"Ouch!" _as his fractured arm was knocked.

"Jesus, would you settle down?" The annoyed voice of Larxene brought Demyx back sheepishly back to Earth, while she tilted her chin up at Axel and said, "'Sup. Heard you nearly died."

"Couldn't kill me even I was dead," Axel cockily replied, scrubbing Demyx's carefully gelled hair with his free hand until the kid was screeching.

"There's drinks after work to celebrate your continued existence," she told him. "Happy hour at 7th Heaven."

"I can't drink, Larx. I'm on pain killers."

She snorted. "Who said you were invited? This is just an excuse to go get hammered on dollar margheritas."

"Everyone, back to work." Zexion appeared, tugging Demyx from Axel's grip and shoving him and Larxene back in the direction of the office. "Good of you to show up, Axel," he coolly said over his shoulder as he prodded them along. "Your backlog is overflowing after that little vacation."

"I can really feel how much you guys love me," Axel drawled back, slipping behind the front counter and booting up his computer. It was almost scary how little things had changed around here. A whole year of his life unaccounted for, and it was like this place had skipped a year with him. His first week back was only half-days, to give him time to adjust, but it was as busy as ever. The only problem Axel had was signing for deliveries with the wrong year. He kept having to scribble it out and rewrite it, feeling weirdly disconnected each time it happened.

For one of those instances, Demyx was at his elbow, lazing at the corner of his desk during his break. "Ha!" he laughed, when Axel quietly cursed and corrected the error. "Shouldn't have hit your head, dude."

"Your sympathy overwhelms me," Axel sarcastically replied, thanking and waving to the courier as they left.

Demyx glanced after them with a sigh. "It's just not the same since Roxas left. His deliveries were the cutest."

"Whose deliveries?" Axel absently asked, hearing Demyx let out a squeak like he'd been stepped on.

"_Nobody's!" _

He lifted his head, confused by the sudden about-face. "Huh?"

Demyx had clapped his hands over his mouth, and now shook his head frantically. "Nothing! I didn't say anything!" he insisted, muffled by his own fingers.

Axel scowled, eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Demyyyyx, what were you talking about just then? Cute deliveries? Who is 'Roxas'?"

Demyx rapidly backed away. "He's nobody? Just some guy who used to do deliveries. Anyway, my break is _over, _I should get back before Zexion notices I'm gone."

"Hey – Demyx, wait a…" He was interrupted by the phone ringing, and in the moment it took to glance back at it, Demyx had scuttled off. "God damn it," Axel muttered. He answered the phone, forcing himself back into business mode, and by the time he was free again Demyx had left the office to go inspect some pipes in a new building the firm was erecting. He didn't get another chance to press him about it that day, or the next, or the next, and before he knew it, the name 'Roxas' was once again gone from his head.

.o.O.o.

A couple of months passed, and by the time Thanksgiving rolled around, Axel's trauma was old news. He had more or less wallpapered the gaps in his memory, none of which had done a good job of fixing themselves over the weeks. Still, the doctor said this was all still within the usual time frame for regaining memories, so Axel hadn't completely given up on that vanished year. Its importance had waned, however, as life trundled along as per usual, and he'd come to the conclusion that at least nothing notable was missing in those cracks.

On a cold November afternoon that he found himself grocery shopping, a list in hand from Kairi for the upcoming Thanksgiving essentials. It was as he was browsing the aisles that he passed a blond head, his hand moving before his brain had caught up, snatching at the elbow of the person who had brushed by. He stared down in surprise at a face he'd only barely recognised, eyebrows high as he said, "Hey! You're – that guy!"

Looking startled, the kid gazed back for a moment, unable to hide the flash of apprehension that crossed his features. As Axel watched, the look flattened grimly out, and, giving absolutely no sign that it had ever occurred, the guy said, "Oh. Hey." He shook Axel's hand off, glancing down and noticing, "Your cast is gone. Seems like you're all better."

Axel laughed a little. "Yeah, man, that thing was a pain in the ass. My wrist was all skinny when it came out, and white enough to direct traffic in a blackout."

The guy smiled tightly, nodded, then said, "Well, anyway, I'd better –"

"Hey, wait," Axel jovially cut in. "It's our long-awaited reunion. I haven't seen you since then, where've you been hiding?"

The guy's eyes flicked off to the side. "I go to school in Boston. So I'm just back for the holidays."

"Oh, yeah? Cool. Why don't you come back to Kairi's with me? I only have to get a few more things. We could grab some beers and kick back."

"No. Thank you." The kid was sounding – terse. Axel wondered if he was being too pushy. Come to think of it, between his behaviour and the way Kairi had acted way back when, maybe Axel was poking some old wounds by bringing her up. "I really should just get going."

"Oh. Well, sure, okay." Axel smiled kindly, trying to show the guy that he didn't hold anything against him. "But hey, maybe next time you're in town, yeah?"

"…Yeah. Maybe." The guy turned away from Axel and started walking away. Axel watched him, feeling – something nagging at him. _Something._

"Hey," he called, before the guy could turn the corner. "So, just for personal reference – what's your name?"

The kid gazed back with inscrutable eyes. "…Roxas." Without giving Axel a chance to respond, he was gone. Axel wandered slowly down the aisle after him, peering out, surprised to see that the kid had ditched his basket of groceries and was now leaving.

"Huh." He turned the name over in his mind. _Roxas. _It rang a bell, but he couldn't figure out where from. It wasn't until he was halfway home that it meant anything – and then, as if he was in the seat next to him, Axel distinctly recalled Demyx, saying, _"It's just not the same since Roxas left. His deliveries were the cutest."_

Without really knowing why, Axel indicated and pulled up at the side of the road. He thought for a minute, then pulled out his phone, calling Demyx.

"_Axellll! What's up? Enjoying the holidays?"_

"Demyx, you free to talk?" Axel asked.

"_Sure, man, what can I do you for?"_

"A while back, after I got back from being hospitalised, you mentioned someone named Roxas being a courier for the company, right?" There was a long pause on the other end. "Demyx?"

"_Aw. Uh, nah, man. I was talking about someone called Roxanne."_

"Roxanne," Axel flatly repeated.

"_Yeah. She was… she was cuuuute." _

"Demyx, you know you can't lie for shit, right? What's the deal? I just met that Roxas guy in the grocery store and something felt off with him, too."

"_Um. Ah." _Axel could just about hear the gears frantically turning in Demyx's head. He was frowning deeply by the time he answered, _"Yeah, well, there – there was a guy like that, I guess. Called Roxas. But, uh, you and him didn't really get along, so…"_

Axel hesitated, then quietly said, "Oh." He felt – disappointed, oddly enough. He couldn't put his finger on why. "So, that's all it was."

"_Yeah!" _Demyx sounded relieved. _"Yeah, he was always bugging you and you got, you got sick of him."_

Curiosity piqued, he asked, "Bugging me? What about?"

"_Oh. Like, he wanted to be an architect, so he was always taking up your time asking questions because you know so much about the company and all."_

"Huh. That doesn't sound like it would bug… me…" He trailed off.

Demyx, sounding nervous, said, _"Axel? Still there?"_

"An architect?" he asked.

"_What? Uh, yeah, I guess?"_

Axel hung up. He started the car up and continued on, making a brief stop at his apartment before returning with the groceries to Kairi's place. Between the two of them, her roommate Olette, Olette's friends, and Kairi's best friends, the tiny place was packed, but Axel managed to force his way to the kitchen, out of breath, to throw his copy of Architecture Monthly onto the kitchen counter and demand, "Who is Roxas, and what is he to you?"

Kairi had been laughing along with Olette at something, but at the mention of Roxas, both girls went abruptly silent. Kairi's eyes darted to the magazine. "I told you, Axel, he's a friend of m-"

"How did you meet him?" Axel stared her down fiercely, Kairi stuttering slightly in response, Axel snapping, "It's not a hard question, is it? How did you meet him?"

She swallowed. "We, we met at a party a while back. And, um…"

"Why can't anyone talk about him without starting to say 'um' all the time?" Axel asked. He switched his gaze to Olette. "Olette, who is Roxas?"

"Roxas – Roxas is a friend of ours," the girl meekly said.

"Okay, fine. So can you tell me why I have a copy of Architecture Monthly in my apartment?" he asked.

"I told you –" Kairi said, but he cut her off with a sharp motion of his hand.

"I'm asking Olette."

The girls exchanged wide-eyed glances. "Me?" Olette smiled uncertainly. "Why would I know –?"

"Don't fuck me around, Olette. I found out today that that Roxas guy wanted to be an architect, and when I got back from the hospital, Architecture Monthly was in my apartment. Why?"

"Axel, you're connecting things that aren't there," Kairi desperately said.

"Then why is there this – this _itch _in my brain, Kairi?" He dragged his hands through his hair, eyes squeezing shut. "He was _right there _when I woke up after the accident. He was _crying." _He turned to Olette, holding up the publication. "One more time. Do you recognise this magazine? Why was it in my apartment? Do you know?"

Kairi rapidly said, "Olette, you don't have to answer him." She flinched as he again swiped a hand through the air, cutting her off, never shifting his attention from the girl in his sights.

Olette's mouth worked for several silent seconds. Then, after chewing on her lower lip, she hesitantly said, "It was there because – you bought it? You wanted to know more about architecture?"

Kairi hung her head. Axel gave a hard, triumphant smile. "Thank you." Without looking at her, he said, "Kairi, we need to talk," and left the kitchen. Ignoring the curious stares from the others in the apartment, he went to the small patio and waited for his sister to drag herself after him. As she closed the door behind her, they stood in the frigid breeze, Axel saying, "I forgot him, didn't I?"

"Axel…"

"I forgot him, and everyone was okay with that? You tried – you all tried to cover him up, somehow?" He turned to her, bewildered and hurt. _"Why, _Kairi?"

She started crying silently, slowly wiping her cheeks just like she had those weeks back in the hospital. "He asked us not to tell you. H-he made me promise. And I, I told everyone else, because I promised I would."

"Roxas did that?" The accusing sharpness was gone from his tone, Axel feeling simply – so confused, as he asked again, _"Why?"_

"He didn't want… for you to be in pain," she softly said. Looking down at her feet, she asked, "How did you find out about him?"

"I met him. On the grocery run. And then Demyx filled in a couple gaps."

She closed her eyes and nodded. "I'm s-sorry, Axel."

He let out a rough sigh, then pulled her in close for a hug. "Look, I don't blame you. I don't. But I need to know the truth now, okay?"

She hesitated, then shook her head. Before he could argue, however, she said, "You need to hear it… from him." She lifted her tear-soaked face. "I'll tell you where he lives."

.o.O.o.

Roxas was in bed when the doorbell rang. He had climbed numbly in upon getting home from the grocery store, pulled the blankets up high, and done his best to forget the sight of red hair and green eyes piercing into him. It had been too long now. He had to get over this. He couldn't keep torturinghimself like this. It had been difficult enough coming home for the holidays, knowing they were in the same town again, but to end up running into him like that… His luck was the worst.

The doorbell rang a second time, Roxas digging his head deeper into his duvet. Nobody else was home. If he just left it, whoever it was, whatever it was, would go away. He just needed _everyone _to go away. All of them. The whole goddamn planet. He just wanted to be left alone.

The doorbell rang again, Roxas feeling a twinge of irritation. Then, blessedly, it stopped – to be replaced, much more aggravatingly, by heavy knocking. Lifting his head with a scowl, Roxas listened for several moments to the pounding, before starting to grow concerned. Maybe someone needed help. Maybe it was an emergency. Sighing, he threw back the covers and went downstairs to see what the commotion was about.

He pulled the door open, then, upon seeing who was on the other side, immediately threw his weight into slamming it shut again. Axel moved just as rapidly, however, managing to jam a leg and shoulder through, grunting in pain as the door hit him, refusing to extricate himself even as Roxas pushed against it. "Hey, _hey, _come on, this is hurrrrtinnnng," his words squeezed breathlessly off as Roxas gave a further shove. He then gave a push of his own, forcing the door back open and sending Roxas staggering.

Breathing hard, Roxas barked, "Get out of here!"

Axel, standing in the open doorway, panting equally hard, replied, "Not a chance."

"How did you find me?" Roxas angrily asked.

"Kairi told me your parents' address." Axel wiped a hand across his forehead, taking a step into the house. Roxas backed up by the same amount.

_Fuck. _"You need to leave. Now," he said, trying to keep the tremble from his voice. If he could just maintain a show of outrage, he might be able to spook the other guy off. "This is trespassing. I'll call the police."

"Oh, so you're the injured party, Roxas?" Axel demanded, the blond flinching at his name. "The last time I checked, I didn't tell an entire group of people to – to erase your existence from my memories."

"_I didn't erase anything!"_ Roxas' retort hung in the air, Axel taken aback by the taut pain within those words. He blinked at Roxas, who went quiet now, but whose fists were tightly clenched by his sides. "I just told them to leave you be."

Axel closed the door behind him, leaning back against it and folding his arms. "…I need to know why," he said.

Roxas studied him in silence, then asked shortly, "How much do you remember?"

"To be honest, I still don't," Axel told him. "But when I look at you…" He stopped for a moment, then went on, "I guessed a lot, but I don't feel like those correct guesses just came out of nowhere, you know?" Thinking about it, he nodded to himself. "Yeah. I've been feeling it for a while. That things weren't adding up right." Pinning Roxas with his gaze, he said, "So, tell me. Tell me about what's not there."

Roxas struggled within himself. He had been keeping this down for so long, and it had appeared to be _working. _But… "If Kairi told you where to find me, I suppose there's no point in covering it up anymore," he bitterly said. He then released a slow breath, deflating along with it. "I guess it wasn't fair of me to do that to her in the first place." He sat down on the bottom step of the staircase, rubbing a hand over his face. "I – I _knew _it wasn't fair. But I asked her to anyway."

Axel simply asked, "Why?"

Covering his mouth with his fingers, Roxas collected his thoughts, then dully explained, "It was my fault you got into the accident. I… You and I… We were…" He searched for the right words, but Axel seemed to have caught up partway already.

"We were… together?" he slowly said.

Roxas closed his eyes and nodded. "We met at your office. I was a courier then, saving money for college. We would talk whenever I brought something for you to sign." He sighed. "You… asked me out one time. And we started dating. And then we moved in together. Or," he amended, "I moved in with you. But it was, you know, a mutual thing." Axel merely nodded his understanding. "But then, I got accepted to a school in Boston," Roxas quietly continued, "and things started to go south. You didn't want me going so far away. I wouldn't budge on it. We started arguing, first over that, then over just little shit. I told you…" He paused, and drew a slightly shaking breath, pressing his thumbs into his brow. "I wanted to break up. I didn't see us working long-distance after all that. But then, when I was due to fly out, you… came after me." He finished the sentence hollowly, Axel figuring out the rest.

"And I got into an accident, and got head trauma that totally wiped out the last year of my life. I.E., you and me."

Roxas nodded. "Right. So I thought… why not just leave it like that?" He shrugged helplessly. "It seemed like I deserved it. If I hadn't been so argumentative about it, maybe we could've made it work. Or if I'd just stopped off to say good-bye to you, you wouldn't have felt the need to come racing after me and got injured. And it also meant that…" He hesitated, then mumbled, "You wouldn't have to go through the breakup. I just didn't want you to feel bad on top of being hurt."

Axel lowered his head, eyes closed as he considered Roxas' words, nodding every now and then as he thought. Then, at last, he asked, "What the fuck is wrong with you?" Roxas blinked, stung. Axel threw his hands up, started pacing back and forth. "Are you some kinda masochist or something? Who the fuck_ – _who the _fuck _does that to themselves? What a waste of ten goddamn weeks! How much energy did you put into being the only one hurting? Into making sure Kairi didn't let anything slip, and didn't let anyone _else _let anything slip? All over a breakup?"

"Hey!" Roxas started to fire up, angry at hearing his efforts reduced to some kind of fuck-up.

"No, not 'hey'," Axel cut him off. "I may not have my memories, but I know myself enough to know that I wouldn't _ever _have wanted this. Clearly, we cared about each other, right? You for me, me for you? There's no way –" His voice caught, the man needing a moment to steady himself before continuing, "I'd never want someone I love to be in pain like that. At least – not _alone. _If we broke up, that's one thing, but you… denied us _both_ the ability to grieve that relationship and move on. And made my sister tip-toe around certain topics so I wouldn't remember anything on my own. Not only that, but you completely nullified the entire _point," _he was getting loud now, "of having tried to catch you before you left to go to fucking _Boston. _I got behind the wheel, I got _hurt, _I had an _entire year of my life _smashed to pieces, and I obviously did it because I still _loved you." _

Roxas was stunned by the force behind his words. "You – you don't even remember me, though," he said. "What are you getting so –"

"_Just because I don't remember you doesn't mean I stopped loving you,"_ Axel yelled, and in the silence that followed, they stared at one another, angry and in pain. At length, Axel thumped a hand against his chest, and said, "It's all still in here. Whatever I felt for you, it's still gotta all be _in here. _Memories change, but feelings _don't. _You don't get to decide that I'm better off never knowing you."

Roxas' mouth trembled. His eyes dropped to the carpet, fingers knotting together. "But I…" His voice was thick. "I just didn't want to hurt you more than I already had."

"You didn't cause the accident, Roxas. Some dickhole running a red light did. Whatever I was doing in that car, I was doing it because I wanted to. Because I cared about _you." _

Roxas' eyes were stinging, moisture he hadn't wanted to acknowledge brimming. He rubbed at them, heaving a breath inward. "Shit. Ah, _shit." _Through his teeth, he said, "I'm sorry. I'm – _sorry. _What the fuck did I do it for? I thought I was helping you, but – I don't know, maybe I was just avoiding the whole thing. If you weren't in pain, then I could pretend I wasn't in pain? Because I'm the one who broke it off? I don't even know anymore." He gripped his head tightly between his palms and brokenly swore, "Axel, I'm sorry."

He heard Axel's long exhale, then his feet approaching. He lifted his head as Axel folded his hands over Roxas' knees, squatting down to look him in the face. "So… this might be really inappropriate, but I feel like the past me wouldn't forgive current me if I didn't ask if I could kiss you right now." In response to Roxas' stunned look, he crookedly grinned and said, "Hey, who knows – maybe it'll jump-start the old memory bank." More soberly, he asked, "Can I?"

Roxas hesitated, then nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Axel leaned in, pressing their lips together for a long, warm moment. It was a sweetness that Roxas had nearly forgotten, wrapped up so tightly inside his own thoughts and regrets. He felt a tear roll its way down his face. When Axel drew back again, he hoarsely asked, "Well? Do you remember me?"

Regretfully, Axel shook his head. He thumbed away the wet trail from Roxas' cheek. "But," he said, "I want to know you. Maybe it can't be what it was, but if that was in trouble anyway…" He cocked his head and gave Roxas a smile, the kind he'd been trying to forget for two and a half months.

"God." Roxas' head fell forward, bumping against Axel's shoulder. He felt the rumble of a chuckle pass through the man. "You're a lot more forgiving about this than I'd have expected."

Axel hummed thoughtfully. "Something about losing my memories has made me appreciate the here and now a lot more than I might have before." He stroked the back of Roxas' head. "And besides, you really are the cutest. Demyx was right."

"I should've known that guy couldn't keep his mouth shut," Roxas muttered. Again, Axel laughed. The sound was shaking free some heavy blocks that Roxas had put around his heart. If only they could have stayed… just like this. Eventually, he pulled away from Axel, though, needing to remind him, "I'm still going to school in Boston. I'll be gone again in a few days. It's not exactly going to be a reconciliation from here."

"That's… okay," Axel told him. "If I'm getting to know you all over again, it can be by text. And email. And video. I'm not in a hurry, here. And maybe if it goes all right, the long-distance thing won't seem so impossible anymore." He seemed to consider something, uncertainty on his face for the first time as he added, "That is, if you want to."

Roxas thought about it. But not for too long.


	2. Chapter 2

AkuRokuRiSo Month continues! The following prompt comes from callunavulgari on Tumblr - thank you, m'dear!

.o.O.o.

**Storm at Sea**

A salty wind swept in from the sea, ruffling the hair and coat of Sora, the third prince of Radiant Garden. He stood on the upper deck of the _H.M.S. Way to Dawn, _a prison ship bound for Hollow Bastion, which was currently at port, the prisoners in question being marched aboard in chains.

"Cowards, the lot of them," the captain gruffly grunted, Sora glancing sideways at him, then thoughtfully back at the convicts. They were a mixture of Radiant Garden residents – deserters and criminals from the recent war – and foreign agents who had captured in allied territory. They were dressed in little more than rags, their feet shod in thin fabric shoes, their wrists already chafing from the shackles that bound them. Each one to a man shuffled with the step of the desolate, heads down, faces grim. Guards stood close by to keep them moving, occasionally shouting or prodding with the muzzle of their rifle when someone stumbled or shifted too slowly. In truth, it was all a rather unpleasant sight to behold, Sora's stomach churning somewhat as he watched. As the third prince, however, it was his duty to accompany the vessel and its miserable cargo to the penal coast, where the cold walls of Hollow Bastion would surround the men 'til the end of their days.

The ship set sail shortly before noon, its hull cutting through the low waves, creaking with the weight of its burden. Sora wandered the upper decks, aimless now that they were apart from the land, neither an official part of the ship's crew nor able to set aside his rank and properly pitch in as each man should. When he tired of the stiff and briny air, he retired to his quarters, a lavish room set up beside the captain's quarters, packed with books and materials to keep him occupied, though he wondered dubiously if such a task was possible throughout the entire six-week journey. Still, better here than below deck, where the prisoners dwelled in cramped, unsanitary conditions that, perhaps, some might not survive. Sora was, undoubtedly, sympathetic to the plight of the prisoners. He knew in his head that they were criminals, but in his heart, he couldn't condone such treatment of them; he pitied them, as one ought for the damned, and no amount of cold reason could alter that.

His mid-meal was brought by one such soul, a young man around his own age, with long, silvery hair that looked lumpy and dirty right now, but with proper care doubtless gleamed like moonlight itself. Sora accepted his meal with surprise, asking, "Aren't you one of the convicts? You're working as a servant?"

The young man, whose gaze was previously on the floor, lifted his eyes, a startlingly lovely oceanic shade of bluish green, and quietly replied, "That's correct, my lord. I am a convict, but due to my military record I have been appointed as a helper aboard the ship." His head sank back down, as if weighted by unseen chains, as he said, "But fear not, your Highness. I am shackled. I shall do no harm to any on board." Sora saw that he was indeed still bound by the heavy iron cuffs that each prisoner wore, and felt a pang. A former military member, reduced to this? What could his crime have been, he wondered?

"What is your name?" Sora impulsively asked. The man hesitated.

"…It's Riku, my lord." He then bowed slightly. "If you'll excuse me, I must return to the galley. My duties continue."

"Of course. Thank you, Riku." The young man once more hesitated, then nodded at the mention of his name and departed. Sora closed his door and sat at his desk to eat, pensively tearing his bread into small pieces as he contemplated the wan expression the prisoner had worn. Whatever his crimes, he had not seemed like a criminal to Sora. He was much too subdued to be anyone bad. If anything, he seemed to be carrying a deep burden. Well, that had been but a moment's impression, he supposed. There was no telling what went on behind the many facades a man may wear. Still, he couldn't come to think of Riku as someone to be feared, at the very least.

That night, he joined the captain for dinner in the captain's quarters, where the two discussed the recent war and the political state of the country and her allies for some time, before Sora was able to bring up the topic of the convicted servant. "I was attended by a man named Riku earlier today. Do you know of him?"

The captain regained the critical look he'd worn when the prisoners had been boarding that morning. "Aye, Highness, I know of him. Bitterly so. Had I my own way, he'd be rotting deep in the bowels of the ship with the others, but his former rank grants him a little leeway, and he is useful enough, though I am loath to admit it."

"Oh?" Sora leaned forward, interest rising. "What exactly was his crime, if I may ask?"

"He's a murderer, Highness," the captain growled. "I apologise that such scum has been near you at all, and will rectify it at once."

Blinking, Sora sat back, startled by the revelation. "He didn't _look _like a murderer."

"Murderers come in all shapes and sizes, my lord. An' if you ask me, it's the ones who look the more unassuming who're the more dangerous, such as that young man. His face may be pretty, but his hands are filthy enough to poison a village."

"I… see." Sora felt a little disheartened, consuming his meal quietly before excusing himself from the captain's presence. When he returned to his quarters, the lantern had been lit and his bedding laid by some unseen servant – perhaps even the subject of discussion in the next room. The captain had promised to remove Riku from his presence, but Sora was still not entirely certain that that was what he wanted. He was hardly in a position to counter the captain's own words, however, and with some regret resigned himself to perhaps not seeing the young man again in the near future.

.o.O.o.

After two weeks at sea, Sora felt weary and bad-tempered. He spent his time either up on the decks or in his room, but with so little to occupy his time that it was beginning to drive him to distraction. He found that in the absence of occupation, he had entirely too much time to dwell on Riku, the man who had only once served him a meal and then never entered his sight again but for brief glimpses as he went about his duties. Sora longed to have a conversation of sorts with him, but even had they been face to face he supposed he wouldn't have known what to say. At the end of it all, he just couldn't seem to wrap his head around the fact that the quiet and obedient prisoner was in fact a murderer, the likes of which could make the captain himself spit with disgust.

In addition to this, the sea had been picking up lately, dark clouds gathering in the distance which made the crew shuffle uneasily, and caused the ship to rise and fall with the swells. This resulted in Sora feeling overwhelmingly sick; while not generally weak to such a thing, he couldn't help but succumb as the rocking increased through the hours, forcing him to retire to bed in hopes of sleeping through the worst of it.

When next he woke, it was with the distinct sense that something was very wrong.

He could hear the creaking of the ship like an endless groaning, and the distant din of men shouting. Then, the world swung around, rolling Sora nearly off his bed. He clambered to his feet, alarmed, and staggered as the ship jolted and shuddered, the sound of a wave crashing against the hull roaring in Sora's ears. He opened his door and made his way outside, emerging into a world of flashing lightning and driving rain. Whatever thunder there might have been was swallowed by the predatory howl of the sea. The yells he had heard were partially from the crew, who struggled to keep the ship under control, working quickly to try and drop the sails; the bulk of the voices came from down below, however, as the prisoners were tossed about by the wild conditions.

Sora felt a clutch of panic, dragging himself up to the helm, where a drenched helmsman was fighting to keep the ship's wheel in hand. _"Where's the captain?" _he yelled above the storm, but the man only shook his head, then slipped and landed hard as a massive waved crashed into the ship. Sora was sent tumbling along with him, crashing into the railing, managing to gasp only once before a second crush of water enveloped him. He clung desperately to the rail, the water seemingly never-ending, until his lungs began to burn. At long last, it abated, allowing him to drag a grateful breath inward – but as he gazed up at the black sky, he saw the final sail break from its rigging, its ropes lashing at the crewmen trying to tame it. The last thing he saw was the rope-end whipping towards him, where its power split the railing apart, and suddenly there was nothing holding Sora from the waves anymore. The water reached up as though to grab him, and he was sucked away into the inky depths.

.o.O.o.

"…_have to…!"_

"_Please…!"_

"_-ighness, you need to…!"_

Sora regained his senses sluggishly, powerfully confused, and so disorientated he couldn't tell the sky from the sea. When he inhaled, he gulped down brackish water, coughing and choking as it stung his airways. He was cold beyond measure, and found that he was clutching tightly to something just as icy as himself.

"_Your Highness, please, you have to kick your legs!" _

Unable to even see who was issuing such a command, he nonetheless did as asked, trying to force his frozen legs to perform. It took some moments, since he could scarcely even tell where they were in relation to his body, but the urgent cries subsided as he did so. They were replaced by frantic panting, whether from himself or the other party he couldn't tell. He felt his arm moving, and pried his eyes apart to try and see why. He caught sight of a pale hand in the night, enclosed in shackles, clutching his wrist and dragging it over a piece of splintered wood. His fingers were forcibly wrapped around its edge, before his other hand was made to follow suit.

"_Keep kicking," _his benefactor told him, mouth against his ear. _"Don't let go." _Then, someone was with him on the plank of wood, the two of them desperately managing to stay afloat, swept along with the whims of the sea, tossed about like the mere flotsam that they were. Sora had no concept of how much time was passing, able only to concentrate on clinging to the wood, kicking his legs, and keeping his mouth above water. The sound of the ocean was replaced by his gasps and the pounding of his heart. They continued like this until Sora fainted from exhaustion.

When he next skirted consciousness, the ocean had calmed, and the sun was on the verge of rising. He was able to open his eyes only partway, enough to see the frightfully pallid features of the face beside his own, of a young man yet to wake. The set of his face was one that Sora distantly remembered, but he was unable to remain focused on it, his eyes once again sliding shut as the sea lapped against them, drifting them onward.

At last, with the sun partway across the sky, he woke up to find himself beached. The wood was still held tightly between his hands, his fingers locked in place so that, for a long while, he was unable to even move them. He was lying in several inches of water, rolled onto his side with one eye submerged. It took all the energy he could muster to force his hands free, at which point he gave a strangled cry as pain shot through them as surely as if they'd been crushed under a hammer. The sound woke his companion, who had slumbered at his side until now, familiar-coloured eyes opening to look at him as if through a haze.

"Your… Highness…"

Sora, gritting his teeth against the pain, panted, "You – saved my life… Riku."

The other man opened his mouth to respond, the words choking off as he, too, discovered the agony of peeling his raw, chained hands from the splintered plank that had kept them from drowning. With no additional energy for communicating, the two of them dragged themselves, foot by foot, from the water, crawling across the sand of an unknown shore until they collapsed in the shade of a rocky outcrop some distance from the ocean's edge. There, they regained their breath, and further rested their shattered bodies, until late afternoon light fell over them, and hunger and thirst forced them to their feet.

For the first time, Sora was able to take a good look at the landmass on which they'd washed up. It appeared to be an island of sorts, with thick vegetation forming away from the beach, which was littered with debris from what could only have been the _H.M.S. Way to Dawn. _It struck him only then that the ship had likely sunk below the waves, after what had evidently been a terrible storm. To look out at the skies now, one could see nary a hint of bad weather; the sea, too, was as calm as a summer's day, showing no sign of the anger that had disgorged them to this unknown place.

There was no hint, however, of other survivors. Though they picked their way silently down through the debris, they found the occasional waterlogged body tangled with ship remains, but no others like themselves. For all Sora knew, they were utterly alone. The island, too, gave no indication of having been settled.

As hopelessness and grief began to overwhelm him, Riku quietly rasped, with the same hoarse voice that Sora had from a night of coughing water away from his lungs, "We need to find fresh water."

Sora blinked away the sting in his eyes and nodded. He was correct. No matter how many others had perished, the two of them yet lived, and had to find ways to continue to do so, lest they, too, joined the ranks of the dead.

It was their good fortune to find that the island was quite fertile; it wasn't long before they found fresh water falling from a small waterfall into an inlet that led to the sea. In addition to this, there were trees that grew curious star-shaped fruits, which were plentiful and ripe, along with mushrooms growing in shady areas, and tall palm trees holding a glut of coconuts. There appeared, also, to be little to no natural predators around. If their luck continued in this fashion, they just might be able to survive until help came.

Once they had eaten and drunk their fill, Sora croaked, "We must bury the dead." Riku nodded his agreement, and they once more returned to the beach, working silently together to dig graves in the earth among the tall, jutting rocks, where the sea would not reclaim them. Each body that they laid to rest, they gave a makeshift marker of driftwood and held a moment's prayer for, until, with night fallen over them, they had honoured the fallen, with no special distinction between prisoner or crewman. All had felt the ocean's rage, and all had met an untimely end. To Sora, they were equalised in death.

Finally able to sit and rest again, Sora craned his head back, looking up at the gorgeous swell of stars that washed the sky. "How strange," he mused with a sigh, "that something so beautiful exists in amidst all this sorrow."

Riku followed his gaze, a melancholic expression in place as he replied, "It's the same in war. Sometimes, I would look up and wonder what the hell we all were doing." He then gasped, catching himself, and swung his face to Sora, quickly saying, "I – I apologise, your Highness. I shouldn't say something like that. And I shouldn't swear. I… beg your forgiveness."

Sora gave small smile, remaining silent for a moment before asking, "Riku, do you know where we are right now?"

The man hesitated. "No, Highness."

"Neither do I." Folding his hands behind his head, he returned his eyes upward. "I'm no prince of this land, that's for sure. So you don't need to watch what you say to me here. We are both survivors, exactly the same in rank. And besides, if it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't even be here. So, please, speak freely." He shook his head quizzically. "And anyway… I don't understand war. I never did see the point of it. A lot of greedy grasping for land and resources – why we can't all just get along is a mystery I doubt I'll ever find the answer to." He chuckled dryly. "I'm sure I'd be a terrible king with that mindset. It's a good thing I wasn't born the crown prince."

Riku's head was bowed, as it had been on the day he'd brought Sora his midmeal. Sora's laughter trailed off at the sight of clear discomfort on his face. "Your Highness," he said, his tone low and pained, "I appreciate your sentiment, but you mustn't extend such kindness to a man like me. I am completely unworthy. I deserve nothing less than dying at sea." He then added, somewhat sadly, "Surely you agree, since after our first meeting you had me reassigned."

Sora raised his eyebrows, giving his head a single, earnest shake. "That wasn't me, though! That was the captain's decision, one I felt I couldn't dispute."

"Is that… so?" Riku's expression lifted slightly, remaining troubled but not quite so glum. They lapsed back into silence following this exchange, each man worn out from the day's trials, spending a while side by side simply looking at the stars. "…We should sleep," Riku said at length, his voice soft.

"Perhaps tomorrow we'll find other survivors," Sora suggested.

"…Perhaps." Riku sounded unconvinced, but Sora was adamant in remaining hopeful. If the two of them had made it, then surely there were others. All that remained was reuniting with them. They spent the night there under the stars, the sand still holding some lingering warmth from the day's sunlight, the nearby resting bodies of the dead standing watch.

.o.O.o.

The smell of smoke woke Sora the following morning. He sat slowly, looking around to find Riku standing a short distance away, at the edge of the forest, alertly peering through the foliage. Climbing to his feet, Sora went to join him, asking, "Is there a fire somewhere?"

"I suppose there must be," Riku murmured, still staring hard through the trees. "There may be others on this island, after all."

"Other survivors?" Sora wondered, feeling a swell of excitement.

"…Let's find out."

Sora nodded his approval, and they set off through the dense forestation, almost jungle-like in its humid, brightly green depths. They were soon sweating, their steps crunching over the forest floor as they let the smoke's intensity guide them, Riku at the fore. After some time, with the forest starting to thin again, the smoke scent at its most powerful, a dull sound of voices began to reach them.

Eagerly, Sora set off at a jog, startling Riku, who had stopped in place. Riku made a grab for him, missing by inches as Sora hurried towards the source of the smoke and voices. _Survivors! _

"Highness, _wait." _Missing the urgency in Riku's voice, Sora continued forward, catching a glimpse of beach – the opposite side of the island – when he was snatched from behind and dragged backwards. He went to yelp, but Riku's hand sealed his mouth tightly, the man's lips against his ear to hiss, _"Quiet!" _

Sora went still in his grasp, bewildered. Riku released him slowly, meeting his gaze to ensure he understood as he placed a finger to his lips, then gestured for him to follow. Riku's approach was far more cautious than Sora's had been, the tense position of his shoulders clearly communicating to Sora that he was ill at ease.

He crept along behind Riku, crouching as Riku did when they reached the final few feet of trees before the beach, remaining hidden as they stopped there, using the vantage point to scope out the area. Almost at once, Sora let out a low gasp, realising entirely too late what had sparked Riku's agitation. He clutched at the man's arm, squeezing hard as he noticed a shape hanging from a tree up against the sand. A body dangled there, strung up with rope by the neck. The voices that they had heard from a distance were raucous up close, Sora forcing his gaze from the hanging corpse to where a band of eight or so men wearing prisoner's rags were tossing items into a bonfire on the beach made of ship wreckage.

"So, there were others, after all," Riku grimly whispered. Sora's gaze travelled inexorably back up to the dangling body, which he realised now was clad in the uniform of a ship's officer. Had he been dead to begin with, or had he been…? He shuddered, turning his face away from the wretched sight. Riku, however, seemed to spot something interesting about it, tugging on Sora's sleeve and murmuring, "Highness, that officer still has his keys on his belt." Sora forced himself to look again, and indeed there was a glint at the man's side, as he twisted imperceptibly in the sea breeze. Riku drew a fortifying breath. "Forgive me, Highness, but I need those keys." Sora hesitated, glancing at his shackles, before giving a single nod of understanding.

"Carefully," he softly urged Riku, who met his gaze for a lingering moment, then crept from their hiding place towards the body. It was a dangerous gamble that he was taking; the body was in full view of the beach. Approaching from behind allowed him some camouflage in amongst the last few trees, bushes, and shadows, but all it would take was one good look from those on the beach and he would be noticed. Still, Riku moved well, like the former military he was, slow, deliberate, and ever-watchful. He waited for a moment in which he was certain that the nearby convicts were fully distracted by their bonfire building, and stood so that the bulk of his body was shielded by the corpse. He reached for the keys, taking an agonisingly long minute to unhook them from the officer's belt.

When he finally managed to do so, Sora had to clamp down on the impulse to make a triumphant noise, his heart thundering in his ears, a long-held breath he hadn't known he was suppressing making its way from his throat in a rush. However, just when it seemed that Riku had managed to evade notice, his chains made a sharp noise as he ducked back down. The convict nearest to the forest's edge glanced over, and caught a glimpse of motion. _"Oi!" _That single cry sent ice through Sora's veins. Riku, realising that he'd been spotted, changed tack immediately and darted for Sora's position. _"We've got visitors!" _came the snarl from the beach, and in the next moment Riku's hand grabbed Sora's elbow and hauled him upright, sending him staggering ahead as he gasped out, _"Run, Highness!" _

Sora needed no second bidding, fleeing through the trees, the near-joyful howls of a hunt taking place echoing through the trees behind them. Riku kept pace with him, directed him this way or that with a tug or a push, but no matter where they went, the voices of the prisoners were never far behind. There were many more of them than there were of Sora and Riku. They had likely fanned out, so that no matter which direction they took, there was ever a man nearby.

Eventually, as their breath began to fail them, Riku seemed to come to a decision. He pushed Sora down behind a large log, never minding the small cry that he made as his hands dug painfully into the dirt. Sora lifted his head, panting desperately, to see that Riku was rapidly unlocking his shackles with the keys he had taken from the officer's body. The moment his wrists were freed, he then took hold of Sora, the prince lost for words as he found his shoes and upper half being roughly stripped. He could only make small, startled squeaks of protest, until his chest was bare and his shirt and jacket bundled up and shoved deep into a recess under the log. Riku then proceeded to strip off his own shirt, his torso gleaming in the dappled shade. He tugged his prison shirt over Sora's head next, pushing his arms through the holes and yanking it down. When Sora looked down at himself, he was wearing the oversized prison shirt, his wide-eyed gaze meeting Riku's in the next instant, understanding at last what his aim had been.

Riku pulled him once more to his feet, and they again started running, but this time it was with the distinct acknowledgement that they were about to be caught. Indeed, because of their delay, however brief it might have been, it was only several minutes more that they were able to flee before one of the men from the beach cut them off. Whirling to double back, they found their retreat already blocked by another, Riku holding Sora behind him so that if they made to attack it would be him, and not the prince, who was injured first.

Instead of lunging for him, however, one of the prisoners, a tall, painfully thin man, yelled out, "Here! We're over here!"

It wasn't long before the rest of the convicts came crashing through the forest, surrounding Riku and Sora, who could only gulp and press himself into Riku's back. Riku, for his part, had done what he could to hide Sora's identity. They could only hope that none of the prisoners had ever had a close look at Radiant Garden's third prince before.

"Well, well." One of the convicts, clearly viewed as the leader of the group, stepped towards them with a sneer. "Who knew there were other rats like us out there?" Riku held his stare without speaking. The prisoner smirked. "Oh, come now, there's no need to be so guarded. We're not going to hurt you. Now, if you'd been part of the ship's _crew, _that would be a different matter…" Sora thought of the strung-up officer and shivered. "…but as we're all the same here, we've formed our own little society. You can join us." He lifted his chin arrogantly. "I'm Kadaj. I'm in charge of our new world. My brothers are the enforcers." He indicated to two of the other prisoners, who bore the same pale hair and striking green eyes of their leader. "Because even rats like us need a little law and order, don't you think?"

"If you say so," Riku answered, his tone deliberately even, never once shifting his gaze from Kadaj.

The man chuckled coldly. "Oh, I do. What I say is the law of this place. This is _my _island now, so you're lucky, really, that we noticed you. I'd hate for you to be caught doing something illegal and have to be punished."

Riku was quiet for a moment, before saying, "We accept your offer. We'd like to join you."

"Well, your prison duds grant you pre-approval, so you're fine there." Kadaj stepped closer, circling around the two, eyeing them closely. Sora felt a chill run through him at that gaze, knowing instinctively that if they recognised him, he was done for. "Hmm. Tell us your names, then. Oh, and your crimes." He gave a brilliant smile that was out of place with his predatory body language. "We like to know exactly what we're dealing with here. The worse your crime, the higher your new rank, after all."

Riku hesitated. "…My name is Riku. I – murdered my commanding officer during the war, and led a mutiny."

Eyebrows rising, Kadaj laughed, "Oh-_ho. _Nasty of you. What did you do that for?"

Riku's face had hardened, while behind him Sora's head had gone numb, feeling as though his chest had been punched of all its breath. "It was necessary for survival. He would have had us mount a hopeless attack and killed us. I did what I had to."

"And got arrested for your troubles! How sad." Kadaj's glinting eyes found Sora next. "And this one? The quiet little mouse? A fellow mutineer, perhaps?"

Sora was unable to move, unable to speak. When Riku had spoken, it had sounded – terribly truthful. In his absence, Riku said, "This is Sora. He's a deserter."

Kadaj's interest waned. "Oh, another one. That's all most of these guys are. Oh, well." He smiled sharply and clapped his hands. "In that case, you're both welcome! And _you…" _He pointed a long finger at Riku. "You're our new… treasurer." He nodded to himself. "Yes, that sounds good. Every society needs a treasury. You'll be in charge of finding things of value in the wreckage on the beach."

"…Very well."

And with that, they were accepted into the prisoners' new society. Thankfully, no one had recognised Sora. As a prince, it was likely they had caught a glimpse of him at some point or another, but as third prince it would have been from a great distance, and not at all often. Once again, Sora was thankful for his lesser role in the royal family.

The group returned to the beach with Riku and Sora in tow, Sora staring blankly ahead as they walked back through the forest. Riku's bare back was in front of him, which he noticed was hashed with pale scars. He looked down at his prison shirt, baggy on his frame, and clutched the hem tightly. As they passed onto the beach, he looked over at the hanging officer, closed his eyes, and said a silent prayer for the man.

"I see you've noticed our decoration." Sora hitched a breath, whipping his head around to the thin man who spoke, one of Kadaj's brothers.

Gathering his courage, he asked, "Was he… alive when you did that?"

Kadaj, listening to them, laughed and said, "Of course he was! How else would we have passed the time yesterday?"

Sora shivered at the glee he displayed. A moment later, a hand slid into his and squeezed gently, Sora looking at Riku, who gazed ahead with a stony expression. Sora lowered his face, but gripped the proffered hand tightly. It was all he could do to keep his fear and distress at bay.

What followed could only be described as an orgy of destruction. The prisoners returned to their previous task, which was burning every flammable item in sight that had come from the ship. The jeering cries they made caused the hairs on the back of Sora's neck to stand on end, as each symbol of their oppression was cast to the flames. Black smoke billowed into the sky, thick and choking. In amidst this, the men drank from a supply of alcohol that had washed ashore in a crate, fought each other, and threw the empty bottles at the officer's corpse.

Throughout it all, Sora clutched Riku's hand, the pair of them sitting a short distance from the chaos, watching with carefully schooled expressions so as not to excite any attention their way. Thankfully, their absence was not remarked upon, and once night had fallen the group had, to a man, passed out from alcohol consumption and weariness. Only now that it was mostly safe did Riku move, drawing Sora along with him as they quietly ducked back into the forest, leaving the beach and its maddened inhabitants a decent distance behind.

Only once he was completely certain that they hadn't been followed did Riku release his hand, letting out a low, exhausted breath and turning to face him. "Are you all right?" Sora searched for an answer, able only to faintly nod in response. Riku grimaced. "I'm sorry, this is all my fault. I should have scouted ahead first. At least then only I would have been discovered."

Sora blinked up at him, then shook his head hard enough to surprise them both. "I – If I didn't have you to rely on, I don't think I'd make it," he said, his voice trembling.

Riku paused. "High –" He bit off the word, glancing around, then went on, _"Sora – _what I said earlier, about my crime…" When Sora looked away, he sighed. "I know that it… shocked you."

"It was true, wasn't it?" Sora asked, after a beat. "What you did, and why you did it."

Riku nodded, closing his eyes. "It is. And every day, I hate myself for it."

Sora absorbed this. The confirmation cut into him… but despite this new knowledge, and how deeply it had shaken him, he could not bring himself to view Riku any differently from before. "I… understand that you had your reasons," he said. "Obviously, I cannot – agree with them, but…" He finally met Riku's gaze, determined, now that he had come to terms with it, to let the man know his thoughts. "I still trust you. What I have seen of you, I know enough already to know that you wouldn't have done such a thing lightly. I believe you truly are repentant, and that you… fully accepted your imprisonment as a result of your actions."

Riku looked stricken, standing stiffly in place with his arms by his sides, his long hair hanging over his eyes. "Sora… you can't be so accepting," he muttered. "You should fear me, as you fear them. You should – you should_ loathe _me now."

"But I don't," Sora responded immediately, startling Riku. "I won't. You saved me. You're continuing to save me, even at risk to yourself." He lifted the edge of his shirt. "Without this, I would doubtless be up on a tree, providing – entertainment." The word struggled from his mouth, low and bitter. "I know that nothing can change what you did during the war, but… I couldn't possibly fear you, Riku. I can see that your heart is truly a good one."

Riku gasped faintly, then seemed to grit his teeth, lowering his head to hide his expression. Sora stepped close to him, laying a hand on his shoulder. The man twitched, but made no move to shake it off. After a long silence, Riku said, in a choked tone, "Thank you."

Sora smiled. "Don't thank me yet. I'd have you help to save me one more time, if you'll agree to it."

Riku looked up, then, without even waiting to hear what he had to say, answered, "Of course. I'll save you as many times as is required."

Sora laughed softly, amazed that he was even able to do so in their current situation, knowing somehow that it was only because Riku was with him that it was possible. He hadn't given up hope yet. "I came up with a plan, as those men were drinking. I say that we build a raft, and sail away from here. They haven't found the beach we washed ashore on yet; we can construct it there, under the guise of you searching for valuable items as their so-called treasurer." Riku stared until Sora wilted slightly under his gaze. "What? It's no good?"

Riku hurriedly shook his head. "It's… perfect. I thought you spent that whole time simply fearful, but you were thinking hard about a solution." He gave an admiring smile, the expression causing Sora's heart to skip a beat. "You just – never cease to surprise me."

Feeling bashful all of a sudden, Sora sheepishly scratched his head. "Well, I mean, I was also quite fearful. I was just thinking at the same time."

Riku chuckled. "Then, if that's the case, perhaps we should return for now. We want them to trust us, so we'd be better off remaining where they can see us for now. Tomorrow, I'll seek Kadaj's permission to begin the hunt for items." Sora nodded his approval of the plan, and, together, they returned to the prisoners' campsite, to rest their bodies for tomorrow's work.

.o.O.o.

The next several days were spent in pursuit of building a raft out of sight. Riku had gained Kadaj's consent to venture away from the immediate area, with Sora to accompany him. However, it wasn't without its caveat; the larger of his two brothers, Loz, acted as an escort, occasionally accompanied by the third brother, Yazoo, keeping an eye on them as they combed the beach for washed-up items. Initially, this had proven to be quite the hurdle – they were able to collect materials for the raft, with the appearance of sifting through trash, but unless they were left alone, they would have no opportunity to carry the items to the opposite beach, let alone construct the raft. A conversation on the third day opened the way, however, as Kadaj idly asked Riku, "Why is it you take the little mouse with you everywhere?" He flashed a toothy smile. "Don't you trust us to take care of him in your absence?"

Riku had stiffened, glancing back at Sora, who was eating his evening meal by the fire, following their conversation closely. He cleared his throat slightly, then bluntly said, "Well, how else are we supposed to get any quality time together?"

Kadaj's eyes had widened. "Oh, I _see. _It's like that, is it?" His eyes had roamed over Sora at that point, causing Riku's hands to ball into fists. "Hmm. Yes, I suppose I see the appeal. And if you've already got him nicely trained…" He leaned forward, beckoning Riku close, saying, "Hey, hey – how about lending him to me sometime?" Riku's thunderous expression spoke for itself, causing Kadaj to burst out laughing. "Oh, I'm so _sorry! _Did I suggest something untoward? Something your mutineer heart couldn't handle? Well… I couldn't possibly stand in the way of a _true love _such as yours." Just as Sora was beginning to blush hard, Kadaj's eyes narrowed, a sneer entering his tone as he added, "But if something were to _happen _to you, well… I suppose the position, such as it were, would be wide open."

The heat vanished from Sora's cheeks as rapidly as if he'd been slapped. Riku, too, had clearly understood the threat in those words. Neither of them doubted that this man would kill Riku if he decided he wanted Sora for himself. Now that the prospect of Sora being a play-toy had been introduced into his mind, it seemed that their time on the island had just become that bit more fraught with danger.

Riku hadn't lost to Kadaj just yet, though. "The thing is," he said, "I said it's for alone time, but with your brother constantly dogging our steps it's a little difficult to actually be, you know, _alone. _I would appreciate some time each day for us to be together, if that's agreeable to you. Without witnesses."

Sora lowered his head and shovelled in a bite of the star fruit, torn between embarrassment at the suggestion, and being impressed that Riku had found a potential gap for them to begin building the raft.

Kadaj appeared amused by the request, leaning back again, relaxing. "It's rather cruel of you to exclude the rest of us… but I suppose I can allow it. For now." He flicked a hand at the brother who was always accompanying them and said, "Loz, from now on, come back early so that our little _lovebirds _have some time to tend to their needs."

Thus, the plan was able to forge ahead. Each day in the late afternoon, Loz conspicuously disappeared, and Riku would take Sora by the hand in case anyone was shadowing them, and lead him to the opposite beach and around behind the rocks. From here, if anyone were to try and spy on them, they would have to come out into the open. They would wait for a while to make absolutely sure no one was coming, and then worked to bring the raft to life.

Throughout their hours together, talking quietly and preparing their escape, Sora came to learn bit by bit about Riku's life. Prior to the mutiny, he had in fact had a reasonably promising military career due to his skill, but his heart was never in step with such a path, leading to the events that resulted in his imprisonment. Sora, when hearing about the situation, came to strongly empathise with his actions. The day of the mutiny, Riku's commanding officer, who had gained his rank through the nepotic system that required absolutely no military knowhow, had been hell-bent on sending them to their deaths to bolster his own reputation. Left with no other recourse, Riku had challenged him, and in the following fight slew him before taking command himself, steering the ship back to land, where the crew had scattered as deserters. Riku had been personally hunted down as the ringleader, and his term in Hollow Bastion had been the consequence. The scars on his back were the result of the lashes he had endured when his jailors were attempting to use him to locate his missing crew.

It was all so… terrible. The war, Riku's experiences… all of it. He wondered briefly if being king was in fact something he _should _desire; at least then, he'd be able to start trying to make a real difference to the way such events played out. Perhaps being king wasn't the only avenue, however; as the third prince, maybe he was situated more perfectly than anyone to bring about change. Unfettered by the duties of the crown, were he to act as a diplomatic force in times of turmoil, perhaps he could help to prevent such tragedy and loss from occurring again.

As the sun fell on their fifth afternoon of raft-building, he piped up, "Riku, I have a request."

Riku glanced at him, concentrating on the sail he was tying in place. "I'm listening."

"When we get away from here… when all of this is over…" He worked up his courage, and blurted, "I want you to stay with me." There was a long pause, and, with his face burning, he chanced a look over at the man. Riku's mouth had fallen open, his hands stopping in their task as he tried to process what had just been proposed. Sora forged ahead. "I mean it. I want you to stay… by my side. I – I feel that we get along exceptionally well, and that, together, we might be able to bring about a change to the – the current political landscape. With my rank, and your experiences, we may be able to prove the folly of war for once and for all."

Riku seemed to take a breath for the first time since he'd started talking. "I – I see. You mean, as an ally." He hesitated. "Sora," he'd got better at calling him by his first name over the course of the days, "I doubt that my presence would be very helpful. Remember, I'm a mutineer and a murderer. As soon as I get back, I'll be returned to prison."

"No, you won't, because I won't let them," Sora hotly returned. "I'll see to it that you receive a full pardon. I mean, if you can't earn a pardon for saving a member of the royal-"

Riku lunged over to him and covered his mouth before he could say more. They both froze, listening and watching for a response from the nearby rocks. When nothing came, Riku released a heavy gust of air. "Sora, please, have a care. I'd die protecting you, but I'd prefer that you're able to leave this place before that eventuates."

Before he could pull his hand away, Sora took hold of his wrist, squeezing. "Don't," he said, causing Riku to blink down at him. Sora's expression was full of worry and dismay. "Don't die for me. You're not allowed to. I need you, Riku." He gazed at Riku's perplexed expression – then rose onto his toes and kissed him. Riku froze completely, eyes like saucers. It was as if he hadn't the slightest clue how to respond to such a gesture. Sora lowered back onto his heels, blushing furiously, and muttered, "So that's – how it is. No dying until I say so."

"Sora." The one word was enough to snatch his breath away, as Riku slid an arm around his waist and pulled him close for a second kiss, far deeper than the first. It was followed by a third, and a fourth, until Sora was gasping for air, his lips beginning to tingle from the pressure. When they eventually parted, Riku looked as if he was lost in amazement. "You…" he croaked. He seemed to run out of words there.

"I _will _see you pardoned," Sora whispered, making sure Riku understood the weight of what he was saying. Distantly, he nodded, and once more, their lips met, Riku's hand under his chin, where it remained until the sun was low on the horizon. They then returned to the camp, hand-in-hand, their heads filled with thoughts of a future that had now become intertwined as surely as the lacing of their fingers.

.o.O.o.

By the evening of their seventh day on the island, the raft was completed. It was surprisingly sturdy, and broad enough for the two of them to comfortably fit. All that remained was to gather supplies. Using empty liquor bottles, they gathered fresh water from the waterfall; in a burlap sack, they stored fruits from the trees and mushrooms. Not knowing how long they would be adrift was a cause for concern, but at this point in time, they couldn't delay any further. Kadaj seemed to be growing increasingly agitated as time went on, and the previous day had strangled one of the convicts to death for a perceived infraction of his rules. Sora and Riku hadn't found out about it until they'd returned to camp to find a new body swinging from the trees. They knew it then, more than they had ever considered it before: they had to leave as soon as possible. Any unnecessary delay could cost them their lives.

They woke before dawn on the eighth day, and while the rest of the camp was sleeping, crept through the forest to the opposite beach. They readied the raft at the water's edge, double-checking their supplies, and just as sunlight touched the horizon, prepared to push off.

That was when a cruel, amused voice called out, "Thank you so _much _for getting everything ready for us." Spinning around, they found themselves cornered by Kadaj and his brothers, a broad smirk alight on Kadaj's lips. He held a broken bottle in one hand, swinging it lazily about as he said, "Did you _truly _think we hadn't noticed? All your scurrying about, all your careful picking of materials – it was really quite apparent what the two of you were planning." Riku stepped in front of Sora as the man sauntered towards them, his brothers a pace behind. "But really, I am grateful. I didn't think there was a way to get off this spit of land until you two got sneaky." His expression turned icy, the bottle coming up to point at them. "So now you're going to die, and we're going to take that pretty little raft."

Behind Riku, Sora had frantically been looking about for something to use as a weapon, his gaze falling now upon the grave markers they had dug into the sand on their first night. He ran to them, pulling a long piece up, turning just in time to see that the brothers were converging on him. He swung his makeshift weapon, slamming it onto Kadaj's shoulder, while Riku threw himself onto Loz's back to slow the more brutishly powerful brother down. Sora ducked past the third, using his smaller, swifter stature to his advantage as he stabbed his club into Loz's stomach hard enough to topple him.

In the next moment, however, Yazoo had wrapped his arms tightly around Sora, snatching him up, Kadaj furiously brandishing his broken bottle and thrusting straight for Sora's throat.

"_Sora!" _Riku intervened at the last moment, grabbing Kadaj's arm, wrestling with him for a moment before throwing his hand around the bottle's sharp edges and squeezing hard enough to snap them, blood erupting from his fingers. In a heartbeat, it was over – Riku took advantage of Kadaj's surprise and reversed the bottle, using its remaining edge to slice into his throat.

Kadaj's shock was evident, his body convulsing as blood haemorrhaged from the wound. His brothers cried his name, flocking to him as he sank to the sand. Sora saw them trying to staunch the wound with their hands, blood flowing freely through their fingers. Riku grabbed his sleeve and pulled him to the raft, the two of them shoving it into the shallows and swimming it hurriedly out to deeper water before the brothers could overcome their horror.

As the wind of the new morning picked up and caught their makeshift sail, they hauled themselves aboard, turning back to stare at the shore. There they saw the forms of the two remaining brothers, who stood still upon the beach to watch them go, Kadaj at their feet, doubtless already perished. They made no move to follow, perhaps already aware that in this particular battle, they had lost, or perhaps, Sora wondered with a pang, unwilling to leave their brother behind.

"Riku – your hand!" Sora gasped with sudden remembrance, turning his attention to his companion, the man cradling his sliced hand against his stomach, leaving a bloody smear against his flesh. Sora took hold of it gently, drawing it towards him, Riku watching silently as he picked out the shards of glass and used one to slice a section of his prison shirt away, binding the wounds tightly. Though the blood continued to seep through, this was all they could manage at this time. Consumed with worry, Sora asked him, "Are you all right?"

Riku didn't answer for a long moment. Then, he simply said, "I had hoped to not have to kill anyone." In that quietly uttered confession, Sora saw him as he must have appeared following the mutiny: tormented by an unavoidable situation where, pressed up against a wall, he had made the only logical choice for his and others' survival.

This time, though, Sora was with him. He drew Riku close, his arms tight around the man's shoulders, hoping to imbue some of the affection and understanding he felt into him through that contact, hoping against hope that he realised Sora was on his side. After a while, Riku's stiff form relaxed slightly into the embrace, a small sigh escaping him, his uninjured hand rising to hold Sora's back, the two of them clinging to one another.

As the raft floated out, borne by tide and wind, the island grew smaller, and eventually disappeared completely.

.o.O.o.

Several months later, Sora was preparing himself in front of a mirror in his quarters at Radiant Garden castle. Long gone was the prison shirt that Riku had saved him with; today, he wore the finery of a prince, his grooming impeccable, those days on the island entirely far behind him.

Well, almost entirely.

A rap at the door alerted him, it opening a moment later to admit his manservant. With clean, shining hair and cutting a handsome figure in formal clothing, Riku approached, meeting his gaze in the mirror. "The meeting with the envoy from Traverse is coming up," he said. "They're in the greeting hall. I listened in for a while, and from what I could tell, they seem reasonably amenable to peace talks." He then lifted a scarred hand to trace down the side of Sora's face, Sora leaning back against him, turning his face to meet him for a chaste kiss. "Are you nearly ready?" Riku asked quietly.

"As long as you're coming with me," Sora smiled. Riku's soft gaze roamed his features.

"Of course, my prince," he murmured.

Together, they left their chambers, to go and try to build a better world.


	3. Chapter 3

superheroes universe au where char A is an ex-supervillain who has long since had their redemption arc, settles down, starts dating... and several months into a serious relationship realizes their datemate is in the middle of their supervillain origin story and just fuckin PANICS - anon

.o.O.o.

"I think… I'm in love."

Roxas muttered it into his folded arms, splayed flat on the table in a diner, where across from him Sora clapped his hands delightedly. He couldn't quite hide his grin as Sora cheered, "Go _Roxas!" _The overly-energetic guy did a little dance on his side of the booth, nearly knocking over his milkshake. Roxas rolled his eyes at the excess, but was nevertheless pretty goddamn pleased with himself. Eyes shining, Sora slapped his hands on the table and demanded, "Details!"

Roxas huffed a sigh, as if it was being dragged from him, despite the fact that he was positively itching to share. "Well – you remember that guy I introduced to you a couple of months ago?"

Sora slurped at his milkshake straw, nodding eagerly. "I remember. It was at that party you brought him to. I think his name was – Lea?"

"Lea. Yeah." The soft smile that spread across Roxas' face had Sora with his head on the table, banging a fist so that the cutlery rattled. "Okay, all right, if you keep that up, we're gonna get kicked out." They were already receiving scowls from other customers and a waiter, which Roxas calmly pretended not to see, taking a sip from his coffee.

With a show of utmost restraint, Sora straightened, stirred his drink with its straw, and evenly said, "Go on."

"Well – that's pretty much it. It's Lea. I think I love him." Roxas was pretty sure the look on his face was goofy, but he didn't much care. "We've been together for nearly three months now, and he's just – he's a great guy. He's kind, he's fun, he's good for conversation, he's just…"

"Boyfriend material," Sora supplied, Roxas nodding in agreement.

"Long-term, without a doubt. He makes me… happy."

Sora sighed. "Roxas, I am so _happy _for you. That is the best news I've heard all year, and, I won't lie, it's been a pretty great year so far." He grinned cheekily. "So, when're the nuptials?"

Roxas scoffed, waving him off with a disdainful flick of his fingertips. "Get fucked, Sora. We're not moving in together or anything. I'm just, I'm at that point where I can go, okay, yeah, this is a good thing. I'm excited for the future, you know?"

"Does he know how you feel?" Sora asked, Roxas hesitating before shaking his head.

"Not yet. I feel like I should tell him about… you know… first."

Sora's eyes bulged. He ducked low, blocking his face with his milkshake, hissing, "You haven't _told _him yet?"

Roxas copied his position, shielding himself from the restaurant with his arms, whispering back, "Well, I mean, how do you come out and _say _that to someone? It's not exactly a light conversation, Sora!"

"Yeah, but what about his feelings? What if he's falling in love, too? I'm pretty sure that most people would want to know that their partner used to be a super-" Roxas forcibly pinched his lips shut, the word _'villain' _smothered from existence.

"Shut up, shut up!" he whispered fiercely. He glanced around to make sure no one had overheard. Then, as Sora glared pointedly, he huffed and released him, sitting back and moodily snatching up his coffee. "I know, okay? I know, but I don't know how to bring it _up. _Lea is…" He searched for the right words. "He's – a genuinely nice guy. He's calm, and sweet, and –"

"Well, isn't that a good thing?" Sora suggested. "Maybe he won't overreact."

"I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be an overreaction to want to ditch my ass as soon as possible," Roxas groaned. "I'm trouble, aren't I? The second anyone finds out, they get freaked and they withdraw. I don't want Lea to do it, too. I'm – I'm scared to tell him."

Sora looked torn between compassion and sternness, but it was his softer side that won out, as usual. "Roxas… I get it. Of course it's scary. But don't you think it's scarier like this? Falling in love but not knowing if he'll reject that part of your past?"

Roxas scrunched his face, rubbed it hard with a hand, then nodded. "You're right. Of course you are. I can't keep delaying it, huh?"

"For your own sake, as much as his," Sora sympathetically said. "And just remember: it _is _your _past. _You're done with that part of your life. It's way, way behind you. You saw the light, you grew, you've become an amazing person who has nothing to do with any of that anymore. You might have been trouble before, but now, you're just a nice guy who loves another nice guy and wants to be loved back – right?"

"…Yeah." Roxas exhaled heavily. "Okay. Okay, I'm going to do it. I'll – I'll text him right now. I'll ask him over, cook him dinner, and then just, just get it out in the open. It's the only way."

"And _then _you can tell him you love him!" Sora beamed. Roxas grabbed his phone and shot off a quick message to Lea, inviting him over when he was free next. As he placed his phone back down, Sora gave him a supportive thumbs-up. "Hang in there, Roxas."

He nodded, insanely nervous now, heart pounding as he thought about the fact that sooner rather than later he would be spilling his biggest secret for the guy he was crazy about. But this was Lea – if anyone was ever going to accept every part of Roxas, including his fucked up past, it was him. If he didn't, then no one would. The prospect made his stomach churn, but he couldn't deny that he'd been hesitating in the relationship lately because of this. At least this way, one way or another, he'd have his answer.

For the rest of the day, he was on tenterhooks, compulsively checking for an answer to his text. When it finally did come through, he nearly jumped out of his skin at the tone, snatching his phone up and staring at the reply.

_Sure! Can't wait. How's your Thurs?_

Roxas' thumbs flashed out a response, confirming the date. The air gusted from him as it sent. Shaking slightly, he hung his head and muttered, "God, I hope this goes okay." Now, he just had to surf the web for a kickass recipe, so that Axel would be stuffed with good food before the inevitable reveal. He settled on the couch in his apartment, flicked the television on, and let the news run in the background as he hopped on his laptop. He faltered as he saw that the newscaster was reporting on a new supervillain in the area, picking uncertainly at his thumbnails.

It had been a few years since he'd been the terror of the kingdom, tormenting do-gooders and the like. Previously, he and Sora had been enemies. It was Sora, however, who had eventually got through to him and shown him the error of his ways. Since then, Roxas had been working at himself every single day, struggling towards being one of the people he had once vowed to make life a misery for. Even now, whenever a new supervillain popped up out of the woodwork, he couldn't help but feel a pang of regret, remembering who he used to be. Lea… had been really good for him, in that respect. If Sora had taught him the meaning of friendship, then Lea was definitely the one who'd shown him that having a heart was an amazing thing. It was better to be part of this world, the world that lived in the light and got to experience things like happiness, love, and – "What the actual _fuck!" _

Roxas was dragged from his inner monologue by the news story. He dropped to his knees, scarcely noticing that he'd sent his laptop tumbling, shuffling close to the TV and turning up the volume.

The newscaster was saying, _"-nce again, this is an urgent bulletin telling all residents of Radiant Garden to stay indoors, and anyone in the marketplace district to evacuate as soon as is safely possible. A new supervillain has made his debut tonight, setting a large section of the marketplace ablaze. Firefighters are on the scene fighting to control the blaze. Footage was taken of the alleged criminal, which we will now play for you again." _

Roxas was glued to the screen, as the footage he had glimpsed earlier replayed, showing a blurry, hooded figure in black caught by CCTV, carrying two large, wheeled weapons. The footage paused as a corner of the figure's face came into view – a single, high cheekbone, a glinting green eye, pale skin reflecting the nearby flames.

It was indistinct, but to Roxas, as clear as fucking day. He felt his entire body sag, eyes wide with shock as he found himself looking at… Lea.

"_Excuse me, we've just received word that the supervillain has contacted all media stations and given a name," _the newscaster announced. They listened to their earpiece, then said, _"He has self-identified as 'Axel', and claims that he will see all of Radiant Garden bathe in flames."_

"Axel…?" Roxas murmured, his heart in his throat.

"_The supervillain has also provided a photo, sent from his iPhone." _

"Sent from his –!?" If Roxas had harboured any doubts, they were blown away as the image was flashed on the screen, showing Lea pulling a rictus-like grin from within his black hood, with red marks beneath his eyes, flames burning in the background. It was… it was clearly a selfie. Roxas all but collapsed, torn between horror and the cringe. Speaking from a purely ex-supervillain point of view, it was unprofessional as fuck. Was this what the new generation thought spreading fear was all about…?

"No, no," he muttered, shaking his head and sitting up. "That's beside the point." He gazed at the television, the newscaster continuing the report next to images of both Lea's… selfie… and the footage from the scene. "…Axel…" He couldn't believe what he'd just seen. This – this was…

_This was great!_ Think how much easier it would be to come out to Lea about having been a supervillain now!

"_No!" _He slapped the sides of his head. "Bad thoughts! We are not turning this into an _opportunity, _we are treating this as an _emergency situation." _Because really, was he _trying _to get caught in the shortest period of time possible? His face was splashed across every news station in the country! Were the marks under his eyes supposed to _mean _something? Did he think that they camouflaged him somehow? _What the hell was going through that dumbass's brain? _

He had to admit, though, the whole tight-fitting black coat with a hood was pretty hot.

"_No! Bad thoughts!" _He grabbed his phone and scrolled through his contacts. "We are _not _thinking about how much more attractive he is now, we are _not _attracted to bad boys anymore." He quickly tapped to call Sora.

Sora answered on the third ring, sounding out of breath, a mess of sirens and shouting in the background suggesting to Roxas that he was in the last place he'd hoped he'd be. He turned to look at the TV, where the banner at the bottom showed text reading, _KINGDOM SUPERHEROES SORA AND RIKU ARE ON THE SCENE, MORE AS THIS DEVELOPS._ This honestly couldn't get any worse.

"_Roxas? Is that you?"_

"Y-yeah. Hey, Sora – is now an… okay time to talk?"

"_Uhh, unless it's to do with the new supervillain, probably not."_

"Well, yeah, it's sort of… about him."

"_Eh? Roxas, do you know something?" _Sora was suddenly alert. Roxas hesitated.

"Did you see the, uh, selfie he sent to the media?"

"_Yeah, I saw! Riku and I are trying to track him down, but we've got nothing. I was chasing him for a while, but I lost him in all the smoke. Why? What about the selfie?"_

"Uhhh… you didn't happen to – recognise him? At all? May-maybe?"

"_Recognise?" _There was a long pause, then Sora's voice crackled slightly from the connection wavering. _"No, I don't think I've ever seen him before, and you know I have a good memory for faces. Do _you _recognise him? Do you know anything about him?"_

Roxas' mouth had gone dry. "No, well, I thought that maybe I'd seen him somewhere before, but if, if you can't remember ever having seen him before, I must be wrong. I thought we had maybe been in the same place, at the same time before… like, maybe a party, or…?"

Sora hemmed and hawed, then finally said, _"Nope, sorry. I've had a really good look at the selfie, but it's not ringing any bells. If you know something, though…"_

"No, no, I don't," Roxas hurried to say. "I was mistaken. Sorry to waste your time, Sora. Uh, good luck."

"_Thanks for trying, Roxas! I'll call you some other time."_

The call ended. Roxas stared at his laptop. "Are you… fucking kidding me?" It was Lea with red marks under his eyes. It honestly looked like nail polish. Lea had met Sora at a party shortly after Roxas had started dating him. But Sora, with his super-memory, among other super-powers, couldn't identify him? Was this, like, Lea's super-power or something? The ability to wear shitty face paint and go undetected?

…Roxas wasn't going to be able to avoid it any longer. This time, he called Lea up. He had to wait five rings this time, before Lea, as equally breathless as Sora had been, answered, _"Roxas! Heeeey!"_

Roxas pinched the bridge of his nose and fought for calm. "…Lea, where are you right now?"

"_Me? Now? I'm just, you know, out and about. What, you miss me?"_

Roxas licked his lips, thinking carefully. "Well – actually, I was thinking that maybe we could have that dinner tonight, instead of Thursday. I know it's already a little late, but I've been wanting to see you, and I thought maybe we could…"

"_Ah, tonight? Gee, I would honestly love to – I would be there so fast if I could – but I'm pretty out of the way right now."_

"Out of the way? Outside?" Roxas innocently asked.

"_Uh, yeah?" _

"Haven't you seen the news, though?" Roxas affected concern. "There's a _new supervillain _out there. You know, for safety's sake, you should really get off the streets. Better yet, come here."

"_Oh, uh, a new supervillain? Really?" _Lea sounded nervous.

"Yes, really," Roxas answered tersely. "The news is saying for everyone to get indoors and evacuate the marketplace."

"_R-really?" _This time, Roxas could've sworn that Lea sounded positively giddy at that snippet of information. He was excited to be on the news.

His patience wearing thin, he grated, "Yes. Really.Lea, _come to where I am." _

"_Did they say anything else about him?"_

Roxas couldn't fucking believe this. "Google it," he said between his teeth. "In fact, better yet, _get your ass to my place. I'm…" _

He'd nearly lost his temper. He drew a breath as Lea uncertainly said, _"Roxas? You okay?"_

With sudden revelation, he made his voice small and coquettish, and said, "Actually, I'm… pretty scared. There's been a really big fire, and this guy is the cause, and I'm _really _frightened right now. I wish you'd come here and keep me company."

There was a long pause, Roxas practically able to hear the gears turning as Lea weighed up continuing his fire-fest or coming to 'keep him company'. He'd really laid it on thick at that part, made sure it sounded as much like a promise to fuck as possible.

Eventually, Lea said, _"I'm… I'm sorry, Roxas." _He sounded genuinely remorseful, and Roxas wondered if he felt guilt at the idea of having scared his own boyfriend. _"But –"_

"But?" Roxas sharply interjected.

"…_I really can't. Um, public transport is suspended because of the supervillain, so… I'm way out of your way. I can't get there tonight."_

Roxas processed this silently, eyes shut, wondering what had become of his perfect love-life. "…Fine," he tightly said. "If that's how it is, then I guess there's no point continuing to persuade you."

"_Roxas…"_

"Goodnight, Lea," he snapped, and ended the call, tossing his phone over onto the sofa and scowling at the television. He wasn't even a decent liar. _If you didn't know about the supervillain, how do you know public transport is suspended because of him, Lea? _What a lot of bullshit.

He half-expected his phone to ring again, Lea trying to resume contact and sort things out, since Roxas had been fairly obviously pissed off when they'd ended it, but… nothing. It sat over on the sofa, silent and unmoving. Lea was evidently a lot more dedicated to making sure the marketplace burned than on making sure his boyfriend was okay. Roxas sniffed a little, upset at the drastic turn of events. What the hell was he going to do now? Lea was running around burning things, and had already earned the title 'new supervillain'. This was a disaster.

And how was Roxas going to tell him that he knew? He'd thought the hardest conversation he'd ever have to have with Lea was going to be his _own _supervillain backstory. Everything was skewed now. He couldn't even go to Sora for help, because Sora had no idea that Lea was Axel. That meant that Roxas had to protect him somehow; had to pull him out of this nosedive before things got worse.

He went over to the sofa and picked up his phone again, staring reluctantly at the screen. Now that he'd chosen this course of action, there was one more number he had to call, and he wasn't looking forward to it.

.o.O.o.

The following day, Roxas set out early, with a cap drawn low over his features. With the smell of smoke from last night's fires drifting over the city, he made his way downtown, entering a dingey coffee shop where he sat and ordered a double-shot of espresso, feeling the need for a caffeine buzz. The place was deserted, the barista leaning against the counter, slowly chewing gum with a blank expression while his coffee poured. They shuffled across the shop to deposit his double-shot, then shuffled back and resumed leafing through a magazine. Roxas could hear the ticking of a clock, the sounds of traffic passing by outside, and the occasional noise the barista's magazine made each time they turned a page.

Eventually, the door opened again, a little bell ringing out, and the man who entered made directly for Roxas, sitting across from him. As usual, he was dressed entirely in black up to the eyeballs, a pair of dark shades in place, a heavy woollen hat pulled over his extremely noticeable hair.

"Roxas," he greeted.

"…Hades." Hades was Roxas'… underworld contact. It had been a long time since he'd had anything to do with the goings-on of supervillains, but Hades had always been a font of information, and he hoped that today would be no different.

"Haven't heard from you in a long time," Hades observed, tugging the thick scarf away from his mouth, his pointed teeth and blue-tinged skin on display now. Hades was a villain in his own right, but tended to keep to the shadows due to his appearance, which didn't allow him to pass easily in the world of regular people. "Have you crossed over to the goody-two-shoes side, and want to bring me in?"

"Actually, I was hoping we could just… talk for a bit," Roxas carefully said. Hades laughed, reaching across and stealing his coffee from under his nose.

"Well, I mean, I can talk all day and night about anything and everything, but I get the feeling that maybe, just maybe, you invited me here for more than a friendly chat, am I right?" He swallowed Roxas' coffee down, allowing Roxas a breath's width to speak.

"I want to know about what happened in the marketplace last night."

"Oh? What happened in the marketplace last night?" Hades was playing coy.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about," Roxas quietly said, maintaining eye contact as best he could given that Hades' eyes were hidden from view. "I want to know about the new supervillain. Axel."

"Oh, _that _'last night in the marketplace'. Yeah, I might have heard a little something about it. I mean, the smoke is still everywhere. A little firebug has sprung to life, not that I disapprove, because, come on, my entire head is on fire, right?" He gestured up at himself and snorted a laugh. Roxas really hadn't missed this aspect of supervillainy. Hades like to dance, and he wasn't in the mood.

"Do you know anything, yes or no?"

Hades placed down his cup, leaning forward. "Well, if we're getting right down to it, then, yeah, I do. But it's not like I'm gonna just pass it on like it's nothing. If you want something, you've gotta give something, a little quid pro quo, am I right?"

Roxas closed his eyes. "Hades, I'm not here to make a deal with you. I just want to know about Axel."

"Well, yippee for you, kid, but you know better than to expect something for nothing, don't you?"

"I was hoping that – maybe for old times' sake…"

Hades burst out laughing. "Old times' sake! What a hoot!" He twisted in his chair and called to the barista, "This kid is hilarious!" When he turned back, his teeth were set in an amused snarl. "Come on, Roxas, you definitely know better than that. I don't deal in sentiments, I deal in results."

"And the only results you're interested in are how far you can one-up Hercules, which I'm not going to do," Roxas firmly told him.

Hades spread his arms out and asked, "So, then why am I here?"

Roxas wavered, trying to figure a way out of this. Then, after a long minute, he angrily stood up. "Fine. Thanks for nothing."

Hades brightly answered, "And you are certainly most welcome. Great catch-up, Roxas. Call me again when you're back in the biz."

Roxas stormed out of the coffee shop, pissed at Hades but more bitter at himself for ever expecting it to go differently. He had at least one snippet of info from the meeting, though: Axel was already known in the underworld. That meant his supervillain star was taking off. This was bad.

As he walked, he thought of one more thing to try, and changed course for the bus stop, intent on paying Sora a visit.

.o.O.o.

When he knocked at the door of Sora's apartment, it was Riku who answered, looking dishevelled and tired, like he'd just woken him up from a nap. "Oh, it's you," he disinterestedly said, leaning against the door frame. He'd never much cared for Roxas, never quite trusting him after his stint as a supervillain. Roxas didn't give a shit, Riku was a douchebag.

"Happy to see you, too, can I come in?" he drawled. Riku squinted at him, but Sora popped up in the background, effectively killing his ability to slam the door in his face.

"Is that Roxas? Hey! Come on in!" Reluctantly, Riku pulled away, allowing Roxas entry, Roxas shooting him a thin, smug smile as he passed. The apartment was dim, the curtains drawn, Sora looking just as tired as Riku had, but a little brighter nonetheless. He was towel-drying his hair, fresh from the shower, with a robe and slippers on. "How's it going, Roxas? Don't mind us, we were up all night tracking that Axel guy." He scowled up at the towel. "Can you believe I've washed my hair three times now, and I _still _can't get the scent of smoke out?"

"How did the hunt end up going?" Roxas asked, trying to sound casual about it.

"Man, that guy is _slippery," _Sora sighed, shaking his head. "We were after him the whole night, but he just kept getting away from us. He had these weird portals he kept stepping into, and then, poof, he'd be gone. So frustrating."

"Portals?" What, so now Lea had another superpower? Could he teleport? "Wow, that sounds annoying." He could tell he sounded wooden, and was trying his damndest to fix it, but he couldn't help but sound off. "Did you figure out anything about his identity yet?"

Riku glared at him a little. "Nothing yet. Not that it concerns you, Roxas."

"What, I can't ask questions about why the marketplace burned to the ground? I can't have an interest in current events?"

"Why are you _here?" _Riku irritably asked.

"I came for a fucking visit," Roxas snapped back, unable to keep his temper in check. He'd had more than enough of Riku's attitude on top of the meeting with Hades and stress of Lea's 'Axel' debut. "Am I not allowed to do that, Riku?"

"Oh, really? The night after a major attack, during which you _called Sora to ask him about it, _you suddenly turn up here asking more questions, and it's just a social call?" Riku wasn't having any of his shit, and Roxas loathed him for it.

"Roxas, you are… weirdly interested in this new supervillain," Sora timidly pointed out. "Um, is everything okay with you?"

Roxas struggled for a moment, searching for the right answer, before eventually, begrudgingly admitting, "…I might… know him."

Riku's eyes, already narrowed, turned hard. "Wait, Roxas – you actually know something about Axel? Whatever it is, you need to tell us. Now."

Cagily, Roxas asked, "If I did, what would you do?"

"We'd arrest his ass," Riku replied without hesitation. "Half the marketplace got turned to ashes last night, it's a pretty big deal. It's a miracle no one got hurt. If you're shielding someone this dangerous –"

"Now, hold on, Riku," Sora anxiously interrupted, "no one's saying that Roxas is actively _shielding _the new guy – right, Roxas?" When Roxas said nothing, Sora pressed him, a little desperately, _"Right?" _

"…I should go." Roxas turned, heading back towards the door.

"Wait, wait, wait." Riku stepped in front of him, an arm thrust out to block the way. "You can't just drop a bomb like then and then book. You need to tell us what you know, _now,_ before anything else happens."

"And, what, you're going to stop me from leaving? Riku?" Roxas glared up at him, fingers stretching experimentally. "You're going to keep me from going where I want? Am _I_ under arrest now?"

"No one's arresting you, Roxas," Sora hastened to say, but Riku cut him off.

"I'll do whatever's necessary to protect the people of Radiant Garden, and the entire kingdom. If you're starting to backslide, and are involved with this Axel guy somehow, then yeah, I'll arrest you. And then you'll tell me everything you know."

"Riku, _stop," _Sora pleaded. "Roxas isn't backsliding! He's good now, he knows better –"

"Maybe I do, and maybe I don't," Roxas sharply said. "What I _do _know is that some pompous asshole superhero isn't going to stand in my way. If Axel is going to be dealt with, I'll do it myself."

"So you _do _know something," Riku said hotly.

"Get out of my way, Riku," Roxas warned him.

"Tell us what you know," Riku demanded.

That was it. Roxas had had enough. He flexed his hand, lifted his arm, and cast a gravity spell. He hadn't used magic since his reform, but he was goddamned if he was going to let Riku walk all over him, and then go after Lea. Sora yelped as Riku was wrenched into the air, trapped up in a dark vortex near the ceiling.

"You _motherfucker!" _Riku raged, drifting upside down.

"Be thankful that's all I did," Roxas sniped, and with Sora jumping to try and catch Riku, he stalked out of the apartment, slamming the door deafeningly behind him. God damn it, now he'd struck out twice. Just once, it would be nice if other people were helpful. In the end, though, if you wanted a job done right, you had to do it yourself.

Lea was going to cop absolute hell for this.

.o.O.o.

Roxas went home and texted Lea, _We need to talk. _He then turned on the news, and waited. Knowing Lea, judging from last night's escapades, he was going to pick burning shit over actually communicating with his boyfriend, and, sure enough, once night fell, the news reports started rolling in. Roxas went to his room and got changed for a raid. He didn't have a supervillain outfit anymore, so the best he could do was dark colours and a hooded sweatshirt, which he drew up to hide his features. He wore pitch black gloves to protect his hands, and spent a few minutes performing warm-up spells, making sure he still knew how to pull them off.

It was officially time to go roast his S.O.

With public transport once again suspended because part of downtown was fucking _burning, _Roxas was left with no alternative but to jog there, keeping to the shadows and avoiding the authorities as they scrambled to keep up with Lea's idiocy. Knowing he had teleportation powers made the task seem a lot more difficult, but he was hoping he could aggravate Lea enough to keep him in one spot.

At long last, pushing through the worst of the smoke and sirens, he made his way towards the flames, and started his mission. Arms outstretched, he summoned a blizzard, and sent it rushing into the fire, smothering it beneath a flurry of ice and snow. He could feel the abrupt shift in temperature, his cheeks going from nearly blistering at the intense heat, to feeling a numb sting from the cold. He marched through the ice particles, heading for the next section of fire, which he again extinguished. Again and again, he wove his way through downtown putting out Lea's fires, until, as predicted, the man himself showed up, pissed that his efforts were being nullified.

"Hey! You! Asshole!"

Roxas turned slowly at the voice, to see Lea standing a short distance away, his wheeled weapons twisting in his grip, fire circling them. He pointed one at Roxas menacingly.

"Would you mind _terribly _not fucking with my fire? I had a good blaze going. What are you, a fucking hero?" Not giving Roxas a chance to respond, he was already coiling his muscles, in the next moment sending the flaming chakrams spinning straight towards him. Roxas immediately lifted his palms and called forth a blast of wind, which killed their momentum, blew out the flames, and sent them skittering across the ground.

Lea swore angrily, then brought forth a burst of fire from his hands, swirling it into a ball which he sent shooting towards Roxas. Roxas froze it out of existence, and when Lea attempted to summon more, he froze it again, the instant it appeared from his hands. Becoming agitated, Lea started calling forth fire as swiftly as he was able, but each and every time Roxas nipped it away, until Lea's hands had to be half-frozen from his magic. Each time, Lea's frustration grew, until eventually he roared, "That's _it, _you little shit!" A pillar of darkness erupted in the air in front of him, and in the next instant Lea was gone. A bare second later, Roxas felt a pair of hands from behind, as Lea grabbed him, spun him around, and took fistfuls of his sweater to drag him close.

This caused Roxas' hood to slip back, and, finally, they were face to face. Lea's anger stuttered to a halt, as Roxas, thoroughly unimpressed, asked with deliberate calm, "What. The _fuck. _Do you think you're doing?"

"Ro… Rox… Ro…" Lea appeared to be having difficulty getting it out.

"Yes, it's me. Roxas," he flatly said. "And you, my dear, are in pretty deep shit right now."

With a gasp, Lea released him, nearly shoving him away as he backed up several steps. Holding the back of his hand against his mouth, Lea struggled for composure, before rasping out, "Roxas?"

"I'm pretty sure I already mentioned that."

Lea's mouth moved noiselessly for a while, before he eventually managed to again say, _"Roxas?"_

Roxas sighed. "Is this like… a side-effect of being a pyromaniac, or are you actually capable of saying more than my name right now?"

"You're… _Roxas," _Lea confirmed, one last time. "Here. Right now."

"And you're 'Axel'," Roxas replied distastefully. "Right? Latest 'supervillain' to take the kingdom by storm? Thanks, by the way. I really appreciate being blown off so you can go be an arsonist."

"It – it isn't _arson," _Lea said defensively. "I'm pyrokinetic."

"Oh, whoop-de-fucking-do," Roxas sarcastically cheered, clapping exaggeratedly. "So you can make fire with your mind, what a great use for it you've thought of."

"Wha-!" Annoyed by his attitude, Lea demanded, "Well, what about you? What the fuck is _your _deal? Are you a…" He seemed to suddenly realise the worst-case scenario, asking hollowly, "Oh, shit. Roxas, are you a superhero?"

Wouldn't _that _have been a relationship-killer. Grouchily, he answered, "No, dumbass. I used to do what you're currently doing. I'm… an ex-supervillain. There. I said it." He folded his arms and exhaled sharply. "I was trying to figure out how to tell you, but I didn't know how until you went full Firestarter on me. Congratulations, you dragged it out of me."

"Whoa, wait, _wait a minute." _Lea held up a hand, the other going to his forehead as if to try and keep his thoughts from spinning out of control. "You're telling me that _you _were a supervillain? When? How?"

"It's been a few years, okay?" Roxas tersely said. "I used my magic to fuck shit up. It is, to be honest, an embarrassing part of my life I'd rather leave behind me."

Lea stared for a long moment. "But, but _wait – _so you _used _to be a supervillain, you have _magical powers _that you used to, as you say, 'fuck shit up' – but you're out here telling _me _off?"

"Yes, because this is different!" Roxas snapped.

"Different _how?" _Lea demanded.

"It's different because it's you!" Roxas dropped his head, walked stiffly over to him and grabbed a handful of Lea's hood. "I know that people are coming after you. Even as we speak, they're hunting you down. And I don't want you to get hurt. Or be arrested. Or anything bad, ever." He worked up his courage, and with Lea being so uncharacteristically quiet right now, lifted his face, met the man's eyes, and stated, "I love you."

Lea's expression pulsed with surprise. "Roxas…?"

"That was… another thing I was trying to figure out how to say," Roxas mumbled, glancing away. A silence enveloped them. Lea seemed almost paralysed by the series of shocks he'd endured. Roxas heard him let out a long, slow breath. Nervous now, he stole a look up, to see Lea with his knuckles against his mouth, frantically fighting off a massive smile. "Lea?"

"Um. You really love me?" Lea managed to ask, his voice strangled. Roxas nodded, amazed at the look on his face. Lea let out a small laugh, then a larger one, then, startling Roxas, scooped him up in his arms, laughing freely.

Roxas gripped him tightly, exclaiming, "Lea, what the fuck?"

Lea dropped him back down and kissed him hard, kissed him until his breath ran short, then pulled back and said, "I love you, too."

Roxas felt his face burn more than it had when literal fire had been a foot away, the goofy grin he'd worn when telling Sora about his love breaking out again. He couldn't help but mimic Lea, asking shyly, "Really?" When Lea hurriedly nodded, they both giggled a little. But Roxas forced his joy away after a moment. "But Lea, this can't go on. You as a supervillain. This is like – it's a deal-breaker, man."

Sobering up, Lea hesitated, then released him. "…I've just begun my reign of terror, though," he plaintively said. "Am I supposed to just – stop? And never do it again? Ever?" He met Roxas' gaze. "Do I have to choose?"

"Well… yeah," Roxas awkwardly said, feeling his high leaking away. "I can't go back to those days, and I can't just do nothing while you're out here burning shit. I'd feel bad."

"But I have this power, Roxas. What am I supposed to do with it?" Lea asked him, sounding honestly as if he needed an answer. Maybe he'd been dealing with this pyrokinesis for a long time. Maybe he'd finally come to terms with the fact that he could set things on fire with his mind and taken control of it, only to have the guy he loved tell him it had to stop. That… had to be hard to swallow.

Roxas looked down at his own hands, which until tonight hadn't cast a single spell in years. He had to admit, it was kind of a rush. And he remembered all too well the struggle that came when you completely cut a section of your life away. He'd given up being a supervillain, but the fact that he'd had to give up magic had been the really difficult part. Normal people, in the normal world, didn't accept people like them unless they appeared normal, too.

So what was the answer?

"…I think," Roxas finally sighed, "I think I know what we have to do."

.o.O.o.

The buzzing of his phone woke Roxas up, rolling drowsily over to reach for it, squinting at the bright screen in the darkness. "Ah, fuck. Lea. Lea, wake up." The bedcovers shifted, as with a grumble Lea emerged, yawning noisily before draping himself over Roxas.

"What," he grunted.

"We've got a job. Some asswipe is causing trouble downtown."

Sleepily, they climbed out of bed and got dressed, dragging themselves out into the night. Downtown was, once again, a total wreck. It looked like a tsunami had crashed through. There was damage as far as the eye could see, and an endless light rain from above. Through it all, some idiot was playing a sitar, crowing, _"Dance, water! Dance!" _

Sora and Riku were already there, waiting for them. "Nice of you to join us," Riku panted, drenched from head to toe.

"But you look like you're handling things so well," Roxas mocked.

"Okay, guys, okay." Sora cut in before they could start bickering in earnest. "I think we should probably do something about that guy before he gets going again."

"That one guy caused all this?" Lea mused, sounding almost impressed.

"Lea," Roxas warned, at which point the man nodded and sighed.

"I know, I know. He's the bad guy, we're the good." He lifted his hood over his hair, and the next time that the guy with the sitar summoned a ball of water, he sent flames out to evaporate it.

The, _"Dance, water!" _dissolved into a loud, startled scream, followed by, _"It's hot! Why is it hot? Fucking steeeeeaaaaaam!" _

They launched out in different directions, working together to bring the villain down. Nearby, a news journalist was on the scene, breathlessly reporting the situation to an on-site camera. As Roxas and Lea darted past, they heard her saying, _"The superheroes Sora, Riku, and Roxas, along with their mystery assistant –"_

Lea bellowed, _"It's Axel, get it memorised!" _Then, aside to Roxas,"Why the fuck does everyone always forget about me?"

"Don't worry, darling," Roxas yelled cheerfully, blasting a wall of water apart with a rush of wind, "you're unforgettable to me!"

"_Augh!" _Lea groaned at the awful joke.

But Roxas couldn't help but notice he was wearing a pleased smile on his slightly pink face.


End file.
